Demonstrators took the streets in downtown Elkhart to peacefully protest

Over 100 protesters gathered at the Civic Plaza in downtown Elkhart for two hours today for the March For Justice rally, demanding justice and change after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

“If we don’t all speak out, then we only keep stuff going. if we don’t come out and watch the streets and show that all of this stuff is happening outside of the road and the small city of Elkhart is out here with them, then they will see that we all have a voice,” Organizer Isaiah Sanders said.

“From this, from this going on, the protesting should make a voice, should get the people out of offices who are not with change and people in office that is with change.”

However, it wasn’t just demonstrators who marched, the Elkhart Police Department also joined them, standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The healing starts everywhere and it starts with us coming together and understanding, so when they wanted to do this walk today we were glad to be a part of it we were glad to be able to work with them, to help them figure out a route that would be safe for everybody and kind of walk with a purpose instead of just walking,” Elkhart Police Chief Chris Snyder said.

Demonstrators said that police involvement in today’s rally is something that they were very proud of.

“I feel amazed that they’re joining us because as you see most of these police departments is not with the people that are marching, they are against them, starting riots and stuff but for the Elkhart police department to march through the streets with us is pretty phenomenal,” sanders said.

The Elkhart police department hopes that their presence in today’s rally will inspire other police forces across the country to do the same, and come together to support their communities.

“We have to understand our communities’ needs in order to please them and in order to help them with different services that are available. we just want to be a partner with our community so that everybody benefits,” Snyder said.

Elkhart Police Chief Chris Snyder said that the department plans to keep up with their involvement with their community for future events to come.