'Silence is violence’: Picayune protesters gather for third day

PICAYUNE, Miss. (WLOX) - Protesters in Picayune are speaking out against the death of George Floyd for the third straight day.

A small, but growing, group of peaceful protesters have been gathering each evening in front of the post office on U.S. 11, drawing the attention of drivers passing by.

The group wanted people to know that small-town Mississippians want their voices heard.

“We’re looking at how Black lives are being affected right now by police brutality, by racism still in this country today," said Curt Loveless.

Organizer Amanda Cardenas explained how the protests began.

“I’ve seen a lot of Facebook posts locally that were against a lot of the Black Lives Matter protests happening across the country, but I knew that there were people in our community that felt that Black lives did matter, and they wanted to speak out," she said.

Protesters of all ages carried handmade signs while chanting on the side of the road. Some drivers honked in support, others shouted to show their disappointment. The protesters said they are standing up against police brutality, and they hope to spark meaningful conversations about racism in their community.

“If you see injustice going on and you turn a blind eye, you’re no better,” said protester Cheri DeMatteo.

The group of Picayune protesters say they will keep showing up at 6 p.m. each day to share their message.

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