Clergy present for fifth night of Lexington protests calling for an end to police violence
Protesters gathered in downtown Lexington Tuesday evening for a fifth night of protests calling for an end to violence by police.
Clergy from about a dozen houses of worship were among the crowd that gathered at Courthouse Plaza Tuesday night.
Protest organizer Sarah Williams said there had been a report about the possibility of white supremacists infiltrating Tuesday night’s protest, and the religious leaders had been called on “to bear witness” to the night’s events and, if needed, to help defuse the situation.
Rabbi David Wirtschafter, of Temple Adath Israel, said the clergy would be on hand to help ease tensions if there were such groups present.
“We are here to protest the killing of African Americans by police. Anything else is a distraction from that crisis. We’re here as clergy to make sure that we don’t get distracted,” he said.
As of about 11:30 p.m., the protest had remained peaceful and focused.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” the demonstrators chanted outside police headquarters.
Branden Barber, of Winchester, later addressed the crowd at Triangle Park, asking for a moment of silence for the nation.
“We are in shambles right now. This should not be happening,” he said. “This should not look like a third world nation for rights out here.”
He encouraged the crowd to maintain the energy of the protests during their day-to-day interactions in the fight against racism, and he urged them to vote.
In a brief interview, he said he expects the protests to continue, and he said the protesters welcome all who wish to join them.
“Change takes generations,” he said. “We’re out here for our future kids. But change will come. I believe that.”
The crowd marched up and down Main and Vine streets several times during the night.
They paused in front of police headquarters, where some protesters addressed police officers lined up outside, questioning the treatment of two teenage protesters who were charged Monday night.
When the protesters stopped in front of a line of officers behind headquarters, Philip Manga stepped between the two groups.
He said he was forming a “psychological barrier” because “we do not want to give anyone the chance to start another narrative. We are all here for the same cause: to fight for human rights.”
While other cities, including Louisville, have experienced looting, fires and shows of force by police, the gatherings in Lexington have been largely peaceful as demonstrators gathered in response to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others.
On some previous nights, Lexington officers responded to protesters by marching, praying and kneeling with them.
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 9:26 PM.
