I just want to do this this time so we dont want to have to do this 50 years from now."

COLUMBUS, Ohio A rally and march recognizing Juneteeth which celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in this country was held in downtown Columbus Saturday and drew dozens of people.

Those who gathered chanted: Black Lives Matter or No justice, no peace words that have become a familiar chorus during protests across the country over the past four weeks since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The messages of those who gathered Saturday were a mix of celebration and calls to action.

This is a struggle that weve going through for centuries and decades. And we are just trying to change history and do our part and everybody out here is trying to be on the right side of history out here, said Nickalos Reid.

Those taking part in the marched along East Broad Street to Mayme Moore Park more than a mile away.

I just want to do this this time so we dont want to have to do this 50 years from now. We dont want to have to do this every couple of years every time they kill somebody, said Lavon Haynes.

Along the route 10TV News spoke to Haynes who brought his family with him and says the events that followed George Floyds death in police custody have been hard to explain to his kids.

Unfortunately, I have had to have that talk with a five-year old and eight-year old and a 13-year old. We dont want to keep doing this, Haynes said. It was rough. Brings a tear to my eye.

You want to see a grown man cry, let them talk about police brutality.

The organizers of todays event tell me it was not simply about making their voices heard although that was part of it. But it was also about, in their view, celebrating our community.

This is to bring everybody, Black, white, Latino, gay, lesbian, whatever you are come together to this event lets celebrate everybodys freedom not just on the fourth of July. But also on Juneteenth, said India Riley, one of the event organizers.

While Saturdays event and march were without incident as 10TV covered them, some protesters told us they were upset by another group who showed up at the Ohio Statehouse Saturday morning and were cleaning and scrubbing some of what had been painted along the sidewalk including the word Black in the Black Lives Matter that had been painted on the sidewalk outside the Statehouse.

An emailed message was left with a member of the other group who can be seen on cell phone scrubbing and using cleaning solution on the sidewalk. Some who attended Saturdays rally vowed to re-paint the words Black Lives Matter."

Originally posted here:

Dozens gather for freedom march and rally in downtown Columbus - 10TV