State College community members, including Penn State and State College Area High School students, are planning a “Justice For George Floyd” protest at noon on Sunday, May 31 at the Allen Street Gates.

Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed while in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis. Since his death, movements, protests, and riots have swept through the nation, demanding justice for Floyd and prosecution of the officers responsible. Police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday afternoon after riots burnt down a police station in Minnesota’s third precinct late Thursday night.

The Allen Street Gates have become a popular place for formal organizing downtown, as candlelit vigils were held there for Osaze Osagie in 2019 and Michael Brown in 2014. Brown and Osagie were also victims of police violence.

A flyer, originally made by a Penn State student, has been floating around social media and GroupMe chats since Friday in an effort to popularize the event. The flyer reads “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE NO INNOCENT POLICE” at the bottom and encourages attendees to wear a face mask and gloves, make a sign, bring water, and bring their friends.

The creator of the flyer also issued the following statement regarding the protest:

“I’m hoping that this protest, in conjunction with the hundreds of others across the country, will show politicians that the American people will not tolerate this unjust violence anymore. The murder of people of color by the police is not limited by state or zip code, and is not a new occurrence. With this protest, we hope to honor the memory of George Floyd and all other victims of police violence by calling on our government to institute radical criminal justice reform, and to stop the persecution of African-Americans for the simple act of being black in America.”

We’ll update this post as more information becomes available.

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