UMATILLA COUNTY — In wake of the killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests that have engulfed the country, hundreds of Umatilla County residents came together again on Saturday, June 6 in Pendleton and Hermiston to protest racial injustice and police violence.

The East Oregonian spoke with a few of those who participated in Saturday’s protests and asked: why are you protesting? 

These were their responses.

Keyshawn Jackson, 19

“No justice no peace, am I right? So like, if we don’t keep doing this and we don’t get justice, then we’re just going to keep doing it over and over and over again. So I come out here for me and my brother and my other siblings because if we do not have our justice then we are not going to get no peace.”

The Sheoships: Shari, 42,  Paul, 23,  Lily, 28, and Vincent, 20

“From a Native American’s point of view there is a lot of racism in Pendleton that’s gone on for a long time through to our grandparents. They couldn’t go to certain restaurants and things like that. It’s still here in Pendleton. I think Hermiston is pretty progressive, but Pendleton is still stuck.” — Shari 

Jacob Rhodes, 25

“We kind of created this because we read an article just from multiple news sources that said small towns do have a big impact on this sort of thing. Even though it’s a smaller voice, it’s still pretty loud because it’s coming from rural America. We’re thinking if we can be that really positive voice in America we can try and influence that positive change wherever we can.”

Destiny Chase, 25

“I just thought that I needed to let people know, especially because I have Black friends, that I am in solidarity with them. And as a Native person I can also understand their struggle too.”

Taturs Maberry, 25

“Just to get my voice out there and march peacefully. Just to try and do something to make some change. 400 years of oppression and stuff like that is too long. Everybody deserves to be equal at this point. It’s 2020 — a lot of things have changed. I just think it’s time.”

Manuel Gutierrez

“Human life matters, whatever the color of your skin, and we need to treat each other with respect. Right now, we’re fighting for black lives.”

Lucia Antonio

“My parents immigrated to West Richland in 1999 and we were the only family of color in our neighborhood, and on my first day of kindergarten I was the only Latino kid in my class, and I literally got pushed into a puddle of mud for it.”

Jackie Linton

“We want (wrongdoers) tried and found guilty and sent to prison where they belong, not on the police force, not sent to a different state…. We want officers to step in and say something, and we don’t want that person fired because they did the right thing. They should be on the police force.”

 

This story has been edited to reflect a correction. An earlier version of this story misspelled Jacob Rhodes’s name.