On Saturday around 30 people gathered at the intersection of School House Lane and Germantown Avenue to oppose institutionalized white supremacy and the presidency of Donald Trump. Holding signs in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against fascism, protestors encouraged passing traffic to honk.
Germantown Friends School and Brandywine Peace Community, a social justice and anti war group, sponsored the protest.
Robert M. Smith, a member of Brandywine, said the protest had three messages. “We are here saying one, stop white supremacy, that we as white people have to own that, two, resist and refuse fascism. Lastly, we’re here to say [vote out] Donald Trump.”
Following the death of George Floyd, a global protest movement has formed with demonstrations against racial violence taking place daily.
The Germantown demonstration was one of several protests that took place across Philadelphia on Saturday.
Germantown resident Dietra Tucker did not realize the protest was taking place until she saw demonstrators, but she agreed with their message.
“The country is in a very dangerous place right now,” Tucker said. “I don’t agree at all with Trump, not because I’m black, just because his beliefs [are] blatantly racist.”
Pastor Bob Coombe, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church of Germantown, said he came to oppose racial injustice and examine his own “white privilege”.
“I came to support Black Lives Matter and advocate for the changes in the laws, [to make them fair], especially for Black and brown people,” Coombe said.
