Amid the unrest and widespread protests across the US over the killing of black Americans, a national commemoration of the civil rights march of 1963 in Washington is being reconfigured to comply with coronavirus protocols in the American district of Columbia.
On August 28, many participants are expected to arrive via charter buses from the surrounding communities. One of the organizers of the event, Reverend Sharpton, will also ask marchers to join satellite rallies planned in the coronavirus hotspots.
He told the Associated Press in an interview that they are following the protocol, Sharpton further said that their objective is not how many thousands will participate in the march. He said,‘’ it will still be a good crowd’’.
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The commemoration also coincides with the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘’I have a dream’’ speech, which is expected to begin with a march at the Lincoln Memorial. The son of the late civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Junior, along with the families of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Ahmad Arbery, Trayvon Martin, and others, are expected to participate in Washington.
After the commemorative rally, participants in Washington will march to Martin Luther’s memorial, and then disperse. Sharpton said that all participants are told to wear face coverings, and rally organizers will also distribute hand sanitizers.
The revised march plan aims to avoid any awkward face-off the local authorities, including the mayor, about coronavirus social distancing restriction in the capital. In July, the coronavirus infection in the area surged significantly, Mayor Browser ordered that anyone traveling to or from Washington must self-quarantine for two weeks.
Health authorities update the lists every two weeks. On August 10, the recent list classifies nearly 29 states as coronavirus hotspots. The commemoration rally has already received a go-ahead from the National Park Service. The application submitted by Reverend Thompson, the rally, estimates nearly 100,000 people.
Mike Litterst, the spokesperson of the park service, said that coronavirus mitigation plans were being discussed with the organizers, however, added that the compliance with local restriction was not a condition under the issued permit.
In Kentucky, Texas, and South Carolina, the National Action Network, Sharpton’s civil rights group is working with its local chapters to held commemorations. Moreover, large screens in these areas will also live telecast the rally in Washington.
Later in the evening, more than 150 organizations that make up a larger Black Lives Matter movement will hold its virtual Black National Convention. The organizers of the movement said that their event would coincide with the unveiling of the new political agenda success of this year’s protests. It calls for the defunding of police departments in favor of health care investments, housing, healthcare, and several other social services for Black communities across the US.
During a June memorial service in Minneapolis for George Floyd, whose death sparked mass protests across the country highlighting systematic racism Reverend Sharpton first announced plans to hold the convention and police brutality.
