Names and information of the individuals mentioned below have been omitted to ensure their protection. Stampede believes in reporting unbiased information but also believes in keeping the interviewees safe.
On May 25, the world was changed by the death of a man by the name of George Floyd. An African American man, Floyd was killed while in police custody. His death fueled the Black Lives Matter Movement that has now spread across the nation. The state of Tennessee is no different, with protests and rallies occurring during different times of the year. However, the weekend of the recent rally turned violent.
During a rally on Sept. 12, a man, name unknown, was run over by a white suv type vehicle. A female protestor, name unknown, was also injured in the event but did not require medical attention. Accounts are divided over the situation that played out. Some accounts state the protestor acted in aggression towards the car and vice versa that the car acted in aggression towards the protestor. The Johnson City Police Department reached out to the populace for help in finding the suspect. A second rally was held the following Sunday in support of the injured protestor
Jennah, a student, marched in the rally held Sunday in support of the injured protestor. Jennah attended many of the BLM protests over the summer and comments from her experience that no such event occurred from those rallies. Though saddened at the events of the protest, Jennah remains resolute in the BLM movement and states she wishes to attend more rallies to combat systematic oppression.When asked about the message that she thought was brought out of the rally, Jennah had this to say.
“The message that I believe came from the rally is that together our voices are even more powerful and we will not be silenced. We seek the downfall of systematic oppression,” Jennah said. “I hope people see us and want to join us. We achieve greater success together than we can achieve alone.”
Despite being a united front, there are individuals that hold different beliefs than the protestors. Tony, a business owner and self-described patriot, attended the rally in support of law and order. Tony even had contact with the event’s organizer Kemp and held a friendly debate with him, complimenting the organizer for his kind behavior. When asked about what he would like to see happen in the future, he had this to say.
“We’ve taken God out of our country along with prayer and have disregard for our law,” Tony said. “The media is messing things up and we as a people need to take a stand and work together.”
As of Tuesday, a name became public regarding the identity of the suv driver. Jared Lafer, a North Carolina man, turned himself in on Sunday for the incident. His case is now proceeding through the court system.
Headline photo: A BLM protestor attending Sunday’s rally in support of the person hit by the car. Photo courtesy of Johnson City Press.