"I think it's important to use my privilege as a white person in a positive way by fighting alongside the black community. It's not enough to just say you stand with them while they're being murdered by the state, my activism has to go beyond just social media. I have to take it to the streets and fight alongside them.

When I got to the protest I attended, it was 1 am. I found a decently large group of protesters still on the Plaza and joined them. They were facing off against a wall of police officers. After a while of the standoff, we took to the streets and followed a route along the Plaza, eventually circling back to where we began. The police followed us in their cars the entire time, blaring their sirens and ordering us to get out of the street. Every time they did, we went onto the sidewalk. Eventually, we'd make our way back into the street and the process repeated itself a couple of times. They were armed with canisters of mace and told us they wouldn't ask us again.

When we got back to where we started, they immediately ordered us to disperse even though we were peaceful and on the sidewalk at the time. They came towards us and maced us, macing me in my right eye and on my clothing. Just because we wouldn't leave, that's it.

The next day, the KCPD (Kansas City Police Department) shared a sign of a couple of officers holding a sign that said "End police brutality" which I thought was ironic because they maced me like, twelve hours prior. They claim to want the same thing, but they maced a crowd of peaceful protesters for "being a disturbance." It was ridiculous.

A couple of friends and I are planning on going back to the Plaza Thursday with backpacks full of first aid and water to hand out. People have been there every day since George Floyd was murdered so I plan on rejoining them on my next day off of work."

TaylorMilton

Username: TaylorMilton

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