Black Lives Matter Group coming to Apopka

The Black Lives Matter - FL Chapter is planning a peaceful march and protest in Apopka on July 24th according to Chapter President Demarkus Johnson. The group plans to walk from Alonzo Williams Park at 515 South Hawthorne Avenue in Apopka to The Apopka Police Department at 112 East 6^th Street. The event is planned to start at 6:00 PM.

Demarkus Johnson is the President of Black Lives Matter – FL Chapter and is organizing the event.

Johnson is from South Apopka. He graduated Apopka High School in 2005, and is currently attending Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach majoring in Criminal Justice.

Johnson says the group has very specific goals.

“We want the police to wear body cameras and to not turn them off. We want them to be fair and treat everyone equally. We want people to do their research and then get out and vote.”

The group marched in Orlando last weekend, and plans events in Sanford (July 17th), Apopka (July24th) and in Kissimmee (on July 31st ). Previously Black Lives Matter – FL Chapter staged events in 2013 in protest of the Trayvon Martin shooting.

On the Black Lives Matter website, they describe their organization as “An ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.”