Protesters continue to gather in DeKalb County to call for an end to racism and police brutality.
Wednesday was the fifth consecutive day of protests in DeKalb County as hundreds assembled in front of the courthouse in downtown Sycamore. 18-year old organizer, Tiana McAllister, is part of the team of two that planned out the march.
“…So, first we're going to go over like the rules like, how to stay peaceful, no violence, the safety,” she said before the march got underway. “And then we're going to do a nine minute kneel here. The cops are gonna kneel with us. And then we're gonna march…”
21-year old organizer Andre Allen, Jr. says the goal of this protest was to get more people to hear their voices, especially outside of the city of DeKalb. Allen and McAllister agree that the crowds are getting bigger.
“This is the most we've ever had here,” said Allen. “This is the most people that's ever shown up. So as the days go by, we get more people.”
McAllister and Allen haven’t set a date for the next protest but promise there’s more to come.
- Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco is a 2020 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project which is a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms.