An estimated 1,000 people took to the streets of Souderton Borough on Thursday night, as part of an organized demonstration against racial injustice in the wake of the death of 46-year-old George Floyd.
The demonstration was organized by longtime-Souderton resident Veronica Moeller, who said she was moved by the photos and videos she saw of the peaceful protest in Lansdale on Tuesday night, which compelled her to coordinate a rally of her own.
The rally began at 6:30 p.m. with a series of speeches by Moeller, community leaders, Souderton Mayor John Reynolds, state Rep. Steve Malagari and Montgomery County Commissioner Chair Dr. Valerie Arkoosh. They were joined by members of Souderton Borough Council, including council president Brian Goshow, as well as multiple members of the Souderton Borough Police Department, who stood amongst the crowd.
Though their voices were different, their statements remained the same: it’s time for change.
By the time the initial round of speeches had passed, the crowd appeared to have doubled in size. At that point, Moeller directed the crowd to begin the march down East Broad Street to North Main Street, where a prayed was held.
The remainder of the event included a march back to the staging location, an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence to represent the time that Minneapolis Police Officer David Chauvin has his knee on the neck of George Floyd, group chants of “Black Lives Matter” and impromptu speeches from demonstrators.
Throughout the demonstration and march, protestors remained both impassioned and peaceful. No arrests or incidents were reported, and the crowd dispersed without problem following the conclusion of the rally.
Following the conclusion, Moeller said that she wants to continue the momentum, and will help to promote similar events in surrounding areas as she gets a feel for what her next step will be.
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