Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Protesters peacefully line intersections at rush hour
During rush hour, protesters congregated peacefully at busy county intersections as they chanted, “Black Lives Matter,” “George Floyd” and “No Justice, No Peace” as many vehicles honked in support as they drove past.
Along Garrett Road at the intersection with Lansdowne Avenue, between 60 to 70 community members brought their signs and voices to stand simultaneously with those standing at Lansdowne Borough Hall for about an hour Wednesday evening.
“We’re out here at rush hour to call attention to Black Lives Matter,” lifelong Drexel Hill resident and co-organizer of the Garrett Road event, Kyle McIntyre, said. “We’re able to use this as a venue to really push people to continuously be aware of the issues and kind of take back the narrative from some of the media that has been portraying things in a pretty negative light.
“People are pretty scared right now, especially with some of the riots going on,” he said. “I think by seeing peaceful protesters, it helps people understand ... that this really is a serious issue and we’re still here fighting and we’re not going to give up.”
Drexel Hill resident BJ Bryant was one of the first to come to the corner at 4 p.m.
“I want justice for George Floyd and for all the black men that have been killed because of police brutality,” she said. “I wanted to show up for this one.”
Bryant was still in work clothes, having walked the mile straight from work with a twosided cardboard sign reading, “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace” on one side and “Say Their Names” and “I Can’t Breathe” on the other. She said her co-worker helped her craft it together.
“She helped me with this, put the finishing touches on this,” she said, “Then, I walked down here.”
Neighborhood resident Maureen Irving also said it was important for her to be there as she held an “Enough Is Enough” sign.
She said she was moved to participate after watching
“I think by seeing peaceful protesters, it helps people understand ... that this really is a serious issue and we’re still here fighting and we’re not going to give up.” — Kyle McIntyre
the George Floyd video. “As a mother watching that, my heart breaks,” she said. “I don’t want to just be standing by ... I just feel like actions speak so much more than words.”
McIntyre agreed that it was time to act.
“I don’t feel, at this point, people are much in the mood for dialogue anymore, they want action,” he said. “Upper Darby, it’s one of the most diverse communities in the entire state and we have many instances of police brutality, police using excessive force and it just gets swept under the radar. We have to start addressing this. Not one more.”
He urged sympathizers to check social media for events or create their own. “If you don’t see any, organize your own,” McIntyre said. “Organize your own.”
Upper Darby Police Supt. Timothy Bernhardt disputed that characterization of his department.
“I would disagree and dispute that all day every day,” he said. “It’s not accurate. It’s just a broad, blanket statement for what’s going on in the country right now. It doesn’t apply to us at all.”
In addition to the department’s partnership with the Upper Darby School District and the Youth Academy, Bernhardt said every member of the 133-person force has been trained in anti-racism protocol and de-escalation procedures.
Wednesday’s protest follows Sunday’s actions — a peaceful one on Lansdowne Avenue in front of Upper Darby High School in the afternoon and another on 69th Street that brought hundreds to the area and resulted in the looting of stores from Market to Walnut streets.