there are quite a few counter protesters at the youth organized black lives matter protest here in elkton, va. many of them are open carrying rifles in an effort to intimidate teens.

the rain and the racists couldn’t keep them at home, though. the picnic shelter here in stonewall memorial park is full of kids making signs, eating pizza, and preparing for their event.

it’s interesting that these counter protesters are clearly demonstrating their belief that the american flag represents an opposition to the idea that black lives matter.

elkton has a population of about 3000 and is 95% white. the town’s official facebook page today encouraged businesses to close early out of concern... that this group of teens would start a riot i guess? https://twitter.com/socialistdogmom/status/1273326987843600384?s=21

this is a very normal response to finding out kids are gathering in a park - standing high on a hill overlooking the group, holding a rifle.

signs in clear plastic bags for a rainy rally for black lives

over by the playground, men who say they’re with the augusta county militia are hiding behind a mulch pile

the youth organizers are starting the rally with an eight minute forty five second period of silence. the crowd is kneeling in the wet grass in the rain.

“this march would not be possible without the help of the organizers,” says the young speaker, thanking fellow organizers from the community.

the next speaker is covering some safety precautions. “there’s no plan for any kind of escalation,” “for those of you up on the hill: we have no plans to do anything to those monuments. we don’t care about them,” they say, addressing the armed counter protesters.

“the police are enacting racial violence across the country. the police are not our friends. please don’t talk to the cops. don’t antagonize them, don’t talk to them,” the organizer tells the crowd.

“we have white supremacists here with guns. they want to cause harm,” the organizer says. if they escalate things, the plan is to evacuate, not escalate. we are here to support & protect these kids.

“please prioritize the safety of black people and people of color in this park today,” they tell the white people in the crowd.

“please don’t believe any of the random stuff you’ve read online. please don’t put milk in your eyes,” the organizer says, in the event that chemical weapons are deployed. there are medics here to assist if needed.

one of the youth who helped put on the event thanks everyone for coming out and says anyone here with questions about the movement or the struggles of black people in the area can talk to one of the people with green armbands here at the event. (that’s such a cool idea!)

and now a prayer from a pastor. “may we hear your voice through their lips,” as they cry for justice.

“police violence is an epidemic in america,” reads a speech from a young woman being read by another organizer. “those bad apples are in the exact same uniforms as the so-called good ones,” “there is not a single good cop.”

someone on the hill is heckling but i can’t quite make it out. the speech continues, calling out the 1994 crime bill written by joe biden.

“in america, we allow private prisons to run a modern day slave trade,” those profits fuel lobbyists putting money into the pockets of our lawmakers. the system benefits itself.

“years and years and years of a system built specifically to keep black people from greatness” accounts for the massive racial disparity in america’s prison population, the speech continues.

“these cops chose to join the force. they saw the effects of their work,” and chose to continue violently enforcing the system.

“justice is people no longer accepting murder at the hands of the state. order is pepper spraying those standing up against injustice.”
(i’m going to try to get the full text of this speech if i can - it’s quite stirring and i’m not capturing it in a way that does it justice)

a young organizer in a bulletproof vest again reminds the crowd not to interact with counter protesters.

“black lives should not be a movement because all lives matter”
“the q at the end of your name makes it look like a terrorist name”
“not all muslims are terrorists but all terrorists are muslims”

these are things an 8th grade teacher here has said to his students.

there is a petition to remove this teacher from his job. he is currently being investigated by the school district. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/School-division-starts-investigation-into-Elkton-Middle-School-Teacher-571281481.html

a young woman at the mic says she has a question for the people on the hill with guns. “what do you think it means when someone says black women are the most disrespected people in america?”

she graduated from harrisonburg high school last year. she says she experienced significant microaggressions throughout her time at school. a volleyball teammate told her she “looked like a monkey,” which the school counselor didn’t see as a problem.

“the black lives matter movement isn’t just about police brutality,” she says. black kids need to be protected from racism like she experienced in school.

“my father was killed by a cop in 2001,” says the next speaker. george floyd’s murder affected him deeply. “what if the next one’s me?”

he’s performing a song he wrote. i don’t want to dox these kids, so the video is just of the grass, but here’s a portion of the audio

the next speaker thanks his fellow organizers for braving the threats and putting on this event, for showing up for black lives.

“his death was the last straw. his death added to a fire that has been burning for more than 400 years in this country. his death... those 8min 43 seconds, is when we realized we can no longer sit in silence,” he says of george floyd’s murder.

“we must stop being silent. we must use our voice to take action. to abolish systemic racism. to abolish police brutality. to demand justice for black people in this country.”
“together as one, we want to change america,” says this young man.

“darkness can it drive out darkness. only the light can do that. hate cannot drive out hate. only love can do that,” he says, quoting MLK. “the road we must take for the change we have been calling for,” “must not be one of hate & resentment.”

“if you are not moved by this, i don’t know what’s gonna move you,” says the next speaker about the incredible work of these teen organizers. we have to support & protect them.

he recounts an anecdote of seeing a ten year old boy playing basketball in his own yard. when he saw some cops coming down the street, he stopped playing and he hid. at his own house. because he saw a cop car.

there is this refrain that if you’re not doing anything illegal, you have nothing to fear from the police. “if that logic worked out, why was breonna taylor killed in her bed?” “she didn’t even get a chance. she was already guilty in the eyes of those police.”

“never forget the reason. never forget the names. breonna taylor. george floyd. sandra bland.” he’s reading names faster than i can type them. so many names.

“it’s a cry of exhaustion, lament, and anguish.” “it’s not something we want to have to chant,” he says of the cries of black lives matter that have echoed in the streets for weeks across the country.

“our lives mattering is no longer a request. it’s a standard. it’s a standard we demand,” he says.

“progress isn’t accomplished in comfort,” “racism isn’t gonna be dismantled in comfort, we gotta stress it out.”

we’re standing here in the rain, surrounded by armed opposition. this is where progress is made. it’s uncomfortable.

“requiring unfiltered black history be taught in our school system & resisting any notion that racist symbols aren’t as harmful as they make it seem,” are additional demands.

“this has been 400 years of trauma and oppression, 400 years of abuse. and no one else should have to die for people to realize we need healing,” he says.

a young woman is reading a statement from a harrisonburg high school student who couldn’t be here for safety reasons. she confronted a white student at school who wouldn’t stop saying the N word. “let people know how dangerous their ignorance is,” speak up.

this young woman used an instagram feature that allows people to answer a question asked. she asked people about experiences that made them feel disrespected and unseen. 278 of her peers left replies. they’re heartbreaking.

i’m hiding inside my poncho crying, honestly. these are just kids. the responses she got to her instagram post are full of so much pain.

“my classmates will NOT be defeated, my country WILL change,” she says triumphantly, defiantly. she asks for a moment of silence for her classmates who shared their pain.

the next speaker starts by defining the school to prison pipeline. zero tolerance policies, SROs, and school budget cuts have worsened this particularly for students of color. black students are 3x more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students.

black students make up 16% of enrolled students but 31% of school arrests.
more than half of school arrests are for misdemeanors or civil violations.

“why would we arrest a student for acting out in class rather than allowing them to meet with a specialist to get to the root of their behavior?”

her own school does not have enough counselors - it’s difficult for students to even schedule time to meet with them. why is there money for cops but not counselors? for cops but not school supplies?

“reevaluate what it means to keep your students safe,” she says to educators. “we demand better and we are not afraid to take further direct action.”

i know i look stupid in my personal tent sitting on the wet grass, ok

the young man from earlier is performing another song. the energy here is so good. these kids are incredible. it’s pouring. he’s telling people to dance.

and that was the last speaker! an organizer tells locals to sign up for updates & more information. these kids were amazing.