Chanting “No justice, no peace,” and “I can't breathe,” a group protested the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd with a march through downtown Sedalia on Saturday afternoon.

Organized by local case worker Rachel Whanger, the Black Lives Matter protest began at 1 p.m. in front of the Pettis County Courthouse with comments by Whanger as well as Ruth Dale and Elder Noah Eugene Poole, using a small megaphone.

Following comments, the group, many of whom were carrying homemade signs and wearing COVID masks, peacefully marched north on Ohio on the sidewalk, crossed over at Third, then south to Fifth and over to Osage then to Broadway. There, the group paused to show their signs to motorists, some of whom honked their horns in solidarity.

The protesters then made their way back to the courthouse by way of Osage. Sedalia Police quietly remained on the perimeter of the march route and no problems were reported. The entire event lasted about 45 minutes.

Whanger said she was pleased with the turnout Saturday. The multi-racial march was intended to “let people know that the injustices must stop. Years of oppression, brutality and murder will no longer be accepted,” she told KSIS.

Planning for the event was in the back of her mind “for years” but Whanger just thought of making it happen on Tuesday, one day after Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis cop. His death, captured on cell phone video and broadcast around the world, sparked outrage and violent protests across the US this past week.

Whanger added her local event to her Facebook and many friends shared it. “A few of my friends have helped locally with making signs,” she noted.

Whanger thanked the SPD for their presence during the event “in case of oppression or problems.”

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