KIRKWOOD, Mo. — Thousands gathered in Kirkwood Saturday morning blocking off streets and marching for peace. Organizers say this was the first march put together by teachers and the turn out was more than they ever imagined.
Before they chanted "black lives matter", there was silence. 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of the time George Floyd spent under an officer's knee.
"I want everyone to think about how long that is as you are walking and not saying anything," assistant principal Ramona Miller, one of the organizer said.
Their message was loud and clear as they went from North Kirkwood Middle School to Kirkwood High School.
"I never seen anything like it in 64 years. It almost made me cry," one protester said.
The signs in the air encouraged people to read between the lines
"What does that mean to you? it means that if you stay silent you're encouraging white lives to continue to be put above black lives," another protester said.
5 On Your Side walked along as protesters marched a mile. The group was made up of all races, all ages and all classes, united to support one cause.
"This is such a huge crowd and I feel good knowing that other people that aren't black are out here supporting the cause," Protester Tajah Foster said.
"I can only hope that the same people that are out here are the same people that will go to their friends and their families and stand up to them when they see them doing something that feeds into the system," Foster said.
The organizers, who teach for a living, wanted to give a lesson in life today, that their students wouldn't forget.
"No one is immune to racism. We know that, and our students need to know that. They live it every day and they are apart of history. They are living this," Miller said.
