ByLyndsey Gough|June 4, 2020 at 10:30 PM EDT - Updated June 4 at 11:24 PM
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WTOC) - The Brunswick NAACP held a rally outside the historic courthouse on Thursday and another group protested outside the Glynn County Courthouse, both groups calling for justice for Ahmaud Arbery.
People of all races, ages, and all walks of life let their voices be heard in Brunswick on Thursday.
The country has been marching and demonstrating for a week and a half since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but Brunswick has been at it for a month.
“It’s tiring, but somebody has to do it, and Brunswick is definitely here to lead the charge,” said Zerik Samples with Brunswick NAACP.
Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump joined the march.
“It’s the right thing to do. They have the right to assemble. The right to free speech. They have a right to walk. If they’re going to walk, I’m going to be there with them, that’s the right thing to do as the sheriff of Glynn County. I want our protesters to be safe, so if I’m there with them, it’s just a little extra cover, and I’m honored to be walking with them, because they’re peaceful. They’re loud, but that’s the way to get their voice across,” said Sheriff Jump.
Brunswick Mayor Cornell Harvey attended both rallies and said he hopes the nation can see Brunswick’s united front.
“Three individuals do not define this community. Sometimes people do bad things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody is bad. We’re going to take care of those three. They are going to be held accountable. This is a good community, and people care about each other,” said Mayor Harvey.
One Brunswick native came back from Washington, D.C. to show her 10-year-old daughter what change can look like,
“I want her to see what being a part of a solution really looks like, and letting her know that peaceful protest is our right , and I want her to see what it really looks like in person. We’ve seen a lot on TV, and frankly, some of it was very frightening, she was kind of apprehensive to come, because she was scared, but I wanted her to know that there is peace out here, and we can be a part of it,” said Brenda Barnes-Paschal.
Seventeen-year-old Kobe Mukes, a Brunswick-native, led the group in song before the rally ended.
Another rally is set to take place at the Glynn County Courthouse Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Both the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol said there were no arrests or incidents to report during Thursday’s demonstrations.
Photo: Getty Images