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Black Lives Matter Protesters Spread Awareness, Collect Funds for Damaged Businesses

Elizabeth Gabriel
/
KLCC News

 

On Friday, roughly one hundred people gathered outside on the sidewalk near Sizzle Pie in downtown Eugene. While there, Black Lives Matter supporters created posters for the cause.

Credit Elizabeth Gabriel / KLCC News
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KLCC News
Black Lives Matter supporters create signs outside of Sizzle Pie.

Now that signs have been made, one of the local Black Lives Matter organizers Moses Jackson said the group will ask businesses to hang the posters in their windows in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“This is a small town where small businesses thrive because of small individuals like ourselves who just wanted freedom to pursue their own destiny,” said Jackson. “That's freedom. So if you actually are proud of creating a business and pursuing your own freedom, you're not letting us be free if you don't let us pursue our own freedom too.”

Jackson said the group is also working to support local establishments that were damaged last week when protests turned violent. Their plan is to help by promoting businesses on social media, raising money, and increasing their sales.

Credit Elizabeth Gabriel / KLCC News
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KLCC News
After signs were made, protesters left the area to ask businesses to put the signs up inside their establishments.

“We can make up for it by having an event where everyone comes here [and] earns them some money,” said Jackson. “Because COVID-19 must have been hard, and then getting damaged by us was just the end. I already know what it's like to put all your heart and soul into something and then just have someone else ruin it. So we're not going to do that to anybody in Eugene.”

People interested in donating funds to help businesses that were vandalized can email blmeugorg@gmail.com

Elizabeth Gabriel is a former KLCC Public Radio Foundation Journalism Fellow. She is an education reporter at WFYI in Indianapolis.
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