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Crowd marches in peaceful Juneteenth rally

Lt. Mike Vesely speaks with march organizer Telisha O'Riley, second from right, after the unity rally on Friday.

By Lightning Reports, Published: June 19, 2020

More than 200 people marched from Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Grove Street to the Historic Courthouse plaza Friday in a peaceful Juneteenth unity rally.

Telisha O'Riley, a 2011 graduate of East Henderson High School, organized the march in order "to create unity within our community and get something started instead of listening to people speak," she said. "We're going to keep it going. I believe we're going to just get the conversation started. The mayor attended. The city manager attended and they said they supported us so they know we are ready to start making things happen."

What those things are she's not ready to identify right now. "Just change," she said. "We don't have specific events we're doing right now."

Although war monuments on the courthouse plaza are covered in gray tarps, O'Riley said protesting Confederate memorials was not the focus of Friday's event.

"I think that was just their way of protecting them," she said. "No, I don't have a stance on any of that."

Asked how the event went, city police Lt. Mike Vesely said, "Perfect, perfect, perfect. It was awesome."

Incidents, arrests or injuries? "Nothing, nothing, nothing," he said.

Marchers walked from the Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 4:15 p.m. The rally broke up about 5 p.m., just as police were shutting down Main Street for the second Open Streets weekend.