March on Washington reconfigured to comply with virus rules
Source: AP
Amid widespread protests and unrest over the police killings of Black Americans, a national commemoration of the 1963 civil rights March on Washington is being reconfigured to comply with coronavirus protocols in the District of Columbia. Although many marchers will arrive via charter buses from surrounding communities on Aug. 28, the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the organizers, will ask some to join satellite marches planned in states that are considered hot spots for COVID-19.
“We’re following protocol,” Sharpton told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. “The objective is not how many thousands of people will be (in Washington). It’ll still be a good crowd.” The commemoration, taking place on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, will begin with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Martin Luther King III, a son of the late civil rights icon, attorney Benjamin Crump and the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, are expected to participate in Washington.
Following the commemorative rally, participants in Washington will march to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in West Potomac Park, next to the National Mall, and then disperse. “The objective is to put on one platform, in the shadow of Abe Lincoln, the families of people that ... have lost loved ones in unchecked racial bias,” Sharpton said. “On these steps, Dr. King talked about his dream, and the dream is unfulfilled. This is the Exhibit A of that not being fulfilled.”
All participants will be required to wear masks, Sharpton said. Organizers also will provide hand sanitizing stations and conduct temperature checks throughout the event. The revised plan appears to avoid a potentially awkward faceoff with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s government over COVID-19 restrictions in the nation’s capital.
Read more: https://apnews.com/6c9ce67e691fef40c242cf23959249ca
2020 MARCH ON WASHINGTON
The 2020 Virtual March on Washington will take place on August 28, 2020, on the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. This year, thousands will virtually March on Washington to restore and recommit to the dream.
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https://www.naacp.org/marchonwashington/
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