BLM, Proud Boys rally outside Riverview High in Sarasota

Riverview High School students leaving school Friday afternoon encountered protesters and counter protesters who had organized rallies on the sidewalk outside the school.

A group of roughly 100 people holding Black Lives Matter signs and LGBTQ pride flags chanted back and forth with a smaller group of supporters for President Donald Trump, many from the local Proud Boys organization.

The groups were both a mix of adult organizers and Riverview High students, and the peaceful demonstration went on for more than an hour after dismissal, with members from both sides venturing across the lines to talk with their ideological opponents, despite the loud protests echoing back and forth.

Lotus Bolan, a 16-year-old girl, and Bryce Johnson, 18, stood in the midst of the din, debating the true agenda of the Black Lives Matter organization. Johnson disputed Bolan’s claim that BLM is about inclusion and unity, and he said BLM has Marxist goals.

Read more: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/education/2020/10/30/blm-proud-boys-rally-outside-riverview-high-sarasota/6083300002/
(Sarasota Herald Tribune)