Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Parkland on Saturday, attending opposing demonstrations on police brutality and racial injustice.
The Black Lives Matter protest was organized by Manuel and Patricia Oliver – parents of Joaquin Oliver, who was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting.
Both parents say Saturday’s demonstration was in honor of their child who often attended Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
“We are doing what Joaquin is unable to do. We are representing our son who can’t be hear but we can certainly be here for him,” Manuel said.
The protest began outside the high school before demonstrators marched through the city’s streets.
On the other side of the road, a group of counter protesters held a rally for Blue Lives Matter in support of law enforcement.
“We believe it’s important for the police to know we support them and what they do. They have a very difficult job,” protester Andrew Klein said.
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The Black Lives Matter protest remained peaceful, ending at pine trails park where a ceremony honoring Joaquin and the other victims of the Stoneman Douglas shooting is held every year.
