Demonstrators gather in Williamsport in response to Neo-Nazi march
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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (WNEP) — More than 50 people came to hear messages of love, unity, and remembrance in Brandon Park.
The non-violent protest comes just one day after Neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Movement (NSM) illegally demonstrated there.
The NSM openly supports the oppression of minority groups.
“We must be bold and brave and courageous and push and pull until we redeem the soul of America,” Sharee Clark, of Wilkes-Barre, stated in front of fellow protesters.
Clark spoke about the black lives matter movement, hoping to carry on the legacy of her relative the late John Lewis, a former U.S. Congressman of Georgia who fought for civil rights throughout his career.
The goal of the protest was to reclaim the park and cleanse the space of hatred.
“We’re really trying to get this chapter off the ground,” said Melodie Russell, president of the Lycoming TriCounty Chapter of the NAACP. “We thought this was a great opportunity to get the community involved.”
When people left the protest in the park, organizers asked that they take some flyers with them and distribute them to homes around Williamsport.
The QR code on the front of the flyers is designed so people can scan it with their smartphone camera, and it will direct them straight to the Pennsylvania Voter registration page.
“Just being in the community itself is a risk, but just taking the extra step to inform someone, it’s the least I can do to help the movement,” said Maya Wilborn of Williamsport.
“I would feel horrible for anybody to encounter anything uncomfortable, but this is a time of encountering the uncomfortable. So I applaud anyone who has the courage to do this,” added Russell.
Russell said her chapter of the NAACP is focusing on three things: voter registration, stopping police brutality, and education on Black history.
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