A Black Lives Matter protest will take place in Eugene on Sunday in response to killings of three black individuals in the past few months.

Ahmaud Arbery was shot while jogging by two white residents in Georgia on Feb. 23; the men who killed him were not arrested until video of the shooting surfaced more than two months later. Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was shot eight times and killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky. George Floyd was killed by a police officer detaining him by pressing his knee into his neck in Minneapolis Monday.

“We March for the right to live. We March for the right to be safe. We March to not be killed by the people that are paid to protect us,” organizers wrote in the Facebook event.

Madeliene Smith, one of the event’s organizers, called out Eugene for marching for all causes except black lives, announcing on Facebook that she was putting together her own protest

“I am so tired of the FAKE one love and love for everyone facade. I demand justice for the murder of my brothers and sister,” Smith wrote in the post.
The protest will start at 1 p.m. outside the Wayne L. Morse Federal Courthouse and march to Alton Baker Park, according to a news release linked on the Facebook event. Speeches will start at 2 p.m., including a speech from Oregon Sen. James Manning, who represents North and West Eugene, Santa Clara and Junction City.
Some members of the Facebook event shared concerns that Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner would speak at the event, but EPD spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin confirmed that he would not. Skinner released a statement about Floyd’s death Thursday, saying, “We are committed to being better.”

Social distancing will be practiced and those attending are encouraged to bring some form of face masks, according to a release, though the organizers will have masks available for those who don’t.