PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - High school seniors held a sit-in outside Pembroke Pines City Hall to protest the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.
The high school seniors who organized the sit-in came from Somerset Academy, which was supposed to hold a graduation ceremony Wednesday afternoon but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In lieu of the traditional graduation ceremony with the cap and gown, the senior class decided to have a sit-in at city hall to protest Floyd’s death and systemic police brutality.
Jada Woullard, who organized the sit-in, said she hopes that change will come out of the protests held at home and across the country. She also said that in 20 years, when her children ask her what she did for her high school graduation, she would tell them she’ll be proud that she organized the protest.
“We’re graduating, and that’s a beautiful moment, but this happening is much bigger than everything we’re going through right now,” Woullard said. “Our lives are at stake, and no matter what, what part of our lives we’re in, we need to be saying something, we need to be acting.”
Chiara Rigaud, a protester, said, “We’ve been fighting for years, and we still have to fight. It’s 2020. I have friends that are younger than me trying to figure out if it’s OK to talk to police. Police are supposed to protect and serve our citizens.”
Meanwhile, another protest was held in Davie, with about 50 to 60 protestors marching down Nobb Hill Road carrying the same message protesting Floyd’s death and racial inequality in regards to policing all around.
Pembroke Pines Police have been listening to the Somerset Academy seniors, and they’ve been at city hall for their protection.
Capt. Al Xiques of Pembroke Pines Police said, “Every police department and every region is different. Some of the challenges that exist in some places don’t exist in others. I can say that we’re very proud of our community here in Pembroke Pines as well as our police department and certainly we’re all training. We’re all about respecting everyone.”
A protest also took place in Davie Wednesday afternoon.
Organizers at both protests said the message is simple.
Woullard said, “I would like to see the cops are held accountable for their actions. It’s really that simple.”
Some of the seniors even wore their caps and gowns during the protests.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.