ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two protest groups came to a head in downtown St. Petersburg Saturday evening.
The first group, which is aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement, met at 5 p.m. in South Straub Park for a "Rally Against Hate" and a "Vigil for Justice." While at the park, the group had speakers and chants in support of Justice for Breonna Taylor and called for changes for the Black community in St. Pete.
When they started marching, however, they were completely silent.
Their decision to walk in silence was made because leaders knew there would be other protesters in St. Pete. “We didn't feel like they were worthy of our attention and we knew people were gonna be yelling back and forth and trying to instigate altercations," said Ashley G., one of the organizers of the protest. "And we just refused.”
Protesters with Blue Thunder and Take Back Downtown St. Pete were also present downtown. They called out in support of President Donald Trump and the police, but they also wanted to make something else clear.
“I don’t support racism in any form. I want unity. United we stand, divided we fall,” said one protester. The group also verbally denounced white supremacy and went as far as to burn a Nazi flag to make that point.
The two groups met at a couple different points throughout the evening, both at South Straub Park and on the St. Pete Pier. During each occasion, police stood between the two groups to prevent confrontation.
The evening ended with both groups returning to South Straub Park. The Black Lives Matter-aligned protesters left the park at the end of their march, in an effort to avoid confrontation.
“We are here for justice for Breonna Taylor. We are here for justice for Ahmaud Arbery, for George Floyd, for the people of this city who are suffering because of gentrification. Who are suffering because of lack of affordable housing," said Ashley G. “We're looking for a tangible difference in black people's lives in this city.”
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