I've received some concerning reports regarding the We Take the Streets march last night. Attendees who wish to remain anonymous have shared the following information with me:

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Per attendees, yesterday the group met at City Hall beginning at 6pm as usual. WTTS leadership was having a "leadership meeting" before the march - the content and topics of the meeting are unknown - which lasted over an hour.
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After approximately an hour and a half attendees were restless and one young man approached the leadership to ask when they would begin their march.

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A member of leadership then turned to address the young man with a raised voice while placing his hand on a pistol in a manner that appeared to attendees to be threatening. Three other protesters came to assist the young man & walk him away from the incident.
(4/?) #DallasProtest

As the attendees were walking away, the WTTS leader persisted in shouting after them using antagonistic language. The young man turned to confront the leader again, and then left after being further assisted by the other protestors.
(5/?)
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It is also reported that at least one attendee (possibly the young man) expressed concern to an individual thought to be a WTTS leader and was ignored - at this time its been confirmed that they are no longer a member of leadership and not responsible for complaints.
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When I received these messages I felt it was crucial to understand the incident from all sides in order to provide the most accurate information. I immediately contacted We Take the Streets leadership to ask them to clarify & give context from their perspective #DallasProtest 7/?

We Take the Streets leadership refused to comment on the incident, and stated that they will no longer be speaking to anyone outside of the group regarding this or any future concerns. I regret that I am unable to share their perspective. Screenshot attached (8/?)
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I'm deeply troubled by the news of this incident and by the refusal of leadership to provide clarity. The wellbeing of protestors is crucial as is the commitment from organizers that they will endeavor to prioritize safety during demonstrations (9/?) #DallasProtests #DallasProtest

Without the people on the ground attending actions and putting their bodies as well as their voices to work none of this current movement would be possible. Protect them.
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I am currently evaluating my stance regarding the WTTS demonstrations based on this and other information. I highly value the work that goes into organizing daily and have put my support behind this group from the beginning...
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However, I'm left to wonder if the importance of daily action outweighs the concerns raised about the behavior of leadership. Is the unacceptable treatment of some protestors just the price we pay for that? I'm unsure.
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I urge you to make your own decisions and use all available information to determine what is within your risk profile. Not just for this demonstration, but all of them. We're not done. #DallasWontRest
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