Neighbors Of Mayor Bill Peduto Show Support For Protesters Through Chalk Messages
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Mayor Bill Peduto's neighborhood wants protesters to know they are welcomed anytime.
They wanted to send that message today after some neighbors spoke out against people protesting outside the mayor's Point Breeze home this past week.
Using chalk, neighbors on Hastings Street write simple messages with powerful meanings.
"Black Lives Matter," Ellie said while her father held her.
"We want to show that Black Lives Matter on Hastings Street and on every street in the city," organizer and neighbor Jennifer Kennedy said.
Community members came right outside Mayor Peduto's house to leave the messages and pictures.
His home has become the center of protests after a protester was arrested last Saturday by officers in plain clothes and unmarked vans and activist Lorenzo Rulli was arrested on Friday near the mayor's home.
"It's good that our neighborhood organized this to come out and have everyone come together," neighbor Emma Garrighan said.
Rulli was released from jail and came by the event. He was greeted by neighbors and created his own chalk messages.
"We're excited he is out and jail and wanted to let him know, we're here for him," neighbor and organizer Sarah Ondriezek said.
Neighbors wanted to let protesters know they are welcome to use first amendment rights anytime. Organizers said they support the Black Lives Matter movement and want to see change take place.
"Just because a few neighbors have not been happy about it does speak for the entire neighborhood. We're happy to have them here and support their first amendment rights," Ondriezek said.
"No discomfort. No amount of hours or few days of discomfort that is even comparable to the injustice of being Black in America," Kennedy told KDKA.
Parents brought their children to leave drawings and notes too. They feel it's necessary to teach their children at a young age to accept and love everyone.
"If you learn that from an early age, you don't have the sort of bias you have at our age," Ondriezek said outside the mayor's house.
"If kids can just grow up and have things like this be an ok part of life, then we're passing a good message to them," neighbor Jason Kennedy said while holding his daughter Ellie.
The mayor's office has offered no comment on the event.
