Horsham Black Lives Protest Planned Monday

HORSHAM, PA — Organizers are calling for a peaceful protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Monday in Horsham Township.

The demonstration is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Monday, June 8. According to a Facebook event page, demonstrators plan to meet near Hatboro-Horsham High School and march to the park across from the Horsham Police Department.

"The Horsham Police station has been notified and they are aware of the peaceful protest," the organizer wrote on the event page. "Please do not bring anything to the protest used (to) harm others, including the police officers. Do not come if you will not be peaceful."

Organizers are asking attendees to wear masks, bring hand sanitizer and maintain social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Demonstrators plan to kneel in a moment of silence for George Floyd.

Floyd, 46, died last week after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes while three other officers looked on.

Video footage of the arrest, in which Floyd is heard saying "I can't breathe," spread widely online, and all four officers were fired. Chauvin is charged with murder and the other three officers also face charges in Floyd's death.

His death has spurred mass protests against police brutality across the nation. Many gatherings have remained peaceful, while others have resulted into looting, vandalism and other crimes — at least some of which police have blamed on outside groups taking advantage of the protests to stir unrest.