Protesting continued Saturday afternoon in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of protestors gathered at Triangle Park in downtown Lexington on Saturday afternoon.

The protest attracted dozens of people. They stood at the corner of Main Street and Broadway for hours shouting chants like, “Silence is compliance,” and “I can’t breathe.”

This comes after days of national unrest and protests over the deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky. and George Floyd in Minneapolis, Mn.

“We’re here to protest the killing of unarmed black folks in our country. They deserve to breathe. They deserve to not be afraid of the people who are supposed to protect them,” said Haley Powell, a protestor.

“Silence is compliance so you have to speak out. You have to give your word, give your piece, let everyone know that you’re standing for something,” said Cherish Derrickson, another protestor at the event.

The protest was peaceful. The movement gained traction over social media and had no specific organizer, according to protestors. A social media post described the motive of the protest is described as to “stand in solidarity with and give a voice to Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and all that came before.”

Despite no clearly defined leadership during the event, participants were passionate about the issues they were standing up for.

“I was raised to put my hands on the dashboard every time I get pulled over and throw my wallet on the dashboard and I shouldn’t have to do that. I should be able to walk around and feel protected by everybody and every one by my surroundings. I shouldn’t feel like I have to hide myself,” said Zion Jackson, whose shirt read, “My skin doesn’t define me.”