'This Is Actually A Movement': Hundreds Peacefully March In Black Lives Matter Rally In Franklinville
FRANKLINVILLE, N.J. (CBS) -- Hundreds marched in Franklinville for a Black Lives Matter rally on Saturday. This comes after, earlier in the week, two men were seen on video mocking George Floyd's murder during a similar protest.
For the second time in one week, there were calls to end hatred and demand justice on the streets of Franklinville, New Jersey.
"I think the show of solitary, I think to show the world we're not stopping," Pastor Karen Johnson said. "It wasn't just a moment. This is actually a movement."
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The national spotlight shone on this small town earlier in the week after a viral video of men mocking George Floyd's police-involved killing during a previous march surfaced on social media.
One of the men was identified as a FedEx employee and has since been fired. The other man is a New Jersey Corrections officer who has been suspended pending an investigation.
"They come out to disrupt. It was what, it was three people that disrupted the thing? What, are they going to silence everybody else?" resident Tom Rommelmann said. "We shouldn't do anything because of their counter-protest? I don't think so."
"It was not very diverse when I was growing up in this town," Shannon Toomer said. "And it feels good to see all colors come together, and see that no matter where you live we can stand all united as one."
Franklinville residents thought it was important to come back out here on Saturday to show that's not what their town stands for.
"There's got to be more older white dudes like me out here," Rommelmann said. "because most of the young people are of all colors and it's just so inspiring."
Protestors took the same route as their previous march. But now on Saturday, they numbered in the hundreds.
Organizers asked for silence as they went through the streets peacefully.
Bryon Russell, of Bridgeton, supports the cause, but not the approach.
"The only way to show people something is wrong, if you make it uncomfortable, is to make the situation awkward," Russell said.
"We're not standing for this injustice anymore," Johnson said.
