Protesters versus a gun: why I would rather be moving forward in community than stuck alone with a gun.
In 2020, I was attending a protest for George Floyd in Downtown Pittsburgh with my now husband. We were handing out water and snacks, and had just run into some friends when we were tear gassed while peacefully protesting.
We passed around water bottles to clear out our eyes and found a wall to stand against while organizers tried to reorganize the crowd despite a barrage of tear gas and rubber bullets.
Other protesters gathered with us to recover. Just as our bleary eyes began to clear we heard some commotion from the nearby safety barricades. A man on a motorcycle with an American flag painted on it drove through a gap in the barricade and through our group.
He then stopped. Got off the motorcycle. And pulled a gun on our crowd.
Our wet eyes adjusted and the world paused for a split second. At once, the protesters split into two groups: one began to shield others with their bodies and the other did something I will never forget. They moved together towards the man with the gun.
Scared, he hopped back on his motorcycle with his gun still in hand and drove off.
I will never forget the victory of that moment where the power of the people drowned out the violence of one with a gun. It's why I come to this work. In my community, I focus a lot on unity building and connecting neighbors. I would rather be moving forward in community than stuck alone with a gun.
