Local residents are planning a march in downtown Franklin to protest the death of George Floyd and support the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Solidarity Peace Walk is set for 4 p.m. this Friday, June 12.
Protests have erupted across the country over the past few weeks demanding more police accountability. While protesters cite the deaths of Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and others as examples of the victimization of African Americans, the tipping point was the killing of Floyd in Minneapolis.
For Erykah Lasha, an organizer for the walk and a Minneapolis native, Floyd’s death is a reminder that the consequences of racism can be tragic.
“The murder of George Floyd hits especially close to home for me,” Lasha said. “I’m from Minneapolis and I have family who is still there. It is apparent to us that circumstances of systemic racism are part of our daily lives.”
Franklin Police Chief Bill Harrell said he expects the event to take place without incident, but his department will be on alert.
“We know the locals, and we have no reason to believe that they’ll be anything but peaceable, but part of living in the age of social media is that you never know who’s going to show up to these things,” Harrell said. “We are definitely erring on the side of caution.”
On Friday, participants will assemble at Franklin Town Hall and march down Main Street. After they walk, they’ll come together in Town Square to meet with members of the community and share their stories of encounters with racial discrimination. While some protests across the country have unraveled into rioting and looting, the organizers are committed to making the Solidarity Peace Walk a peaceful event.
“We want to reiterate as much as we can that this walk has absolutely zero intentions of being anything other than peaceful,” organizer Molly Haithcock said. “We are working together to bring attention to the #blacklivesmatter movement and remember the innocent lives lost.”
Mayor Bob Scott said he’s had nothing but polite interactions with the organizers and expects them to hold an orderly and informative event for the community.
“I don’t really even see it as a protest,” Scott said. “I see it as a walk. I see it as a benefit for saving people’s lives, and I don’t see anything wrong with them doing that.”
The walk will be followed by a similar event in Sylva the following afternoon. The organizers hope that with a series of peaceful events, residents of Macon County and all over Western North Carolina will see the human importance of their cause, particularly those who don’t already agree with them.
“We hope the community is inspired to continue growing our awareness of racial justice,” organizer Jade Green said. “We will keep gathering in hopes of creating more safe space for black – and indigenous – people of color within our community.”
The Solidarity Peace Walk will begin at 4 p.m. Friday, June 12 at Town Hall.