A small crowd of about 100 people attended the Black Lives Matter event in Sanford Sunday evening. About 60 of those marched from Red Barber Park to the Sanford Police Department and listened to speeches from several speakers. The same Black Lives Matter group is scheduled to march in Apopka this coming Sunday from Alonzo Williams Park to The Apopka Police Department.
Wil Blunt spoke at the event, and expects to be in Apopka as well. He called for love and peace in contrast to hate and vengeance.
The event attracted only around 100 people despite attendance estimates much higher.
“Like many of you here tonight I felt many ways after the events that happened throughout the week,” said Blunt, a 23-year-old rapper and an Orlando resident. “The murder of Alton Sterling stunned me to my core, as I thought there's another black man killed. The murder of Philando Castile, in front of his daughter, brought tears to my eyes and an ache in my heart. The injustice, police brutality, and lack of regard for life is not foreign to us. This issue has been something the black community has known about for years. The rise of social media has only heightened the awareness of this racial problem from the black community to the global community. This type of injustice should not be tolerated, nor should it be retaliated with violence. The power of love and peace is what can eradicate hate, not vengeance. Let's be a people that respond in a way that compels change through powerfully and peacefully using our voices together to unite within as blacks and unite with our white brothers and sisters.”
Before the march began, Black Lives Matter, FL Chapter President Demarkus Johnson spoke to the group, and outlined its goals. Johnson is a Bethune Cookman University student who lived in South Apopka and graduated from Apopka High School.
“Black Lives Matter is not here to do anything to harm police officers. That’s not our mission to harm the police, but we don’t want them to harm us either. We want you to get out to vote. Voting is the key.”
The previous weekend, over 1,000 marchers came out for a Black Lives Matter march in Orlando. And despite projections of similar attendance in Sanford, the smaller group did not thwart Johnson.
"We were united today as brothers and sisters," he said. "It's a step in the right direction for change."
Cecil Smith, the Chief of Police for the Sanford Police Department, attended the event and interacted with some of the marchers in attendance. He stressed the importance of the group maintaining a peaceful event.
"Sanford has been a safe and sound and quiet community since the events with Trayvon Martin. It's important for them (Black Lives Matter) to come into our community and leave the same way that they found it."
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