Rally in Mount Vernon held in support of George Floyd, Daunte Wright

Apr. 18—MOUNT VERNON — As heavy traffic moved through downtown on Saturday, about 30 people participated in a rally to demand justice for George Floyd, Daunte Wright and many other Black victims of police violence in recent years.

Participants held signs with messages such as "all lives can't matter until Black lives matter" and "traffic stops are not death sentences."

Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by police on April 11 in suburban Minneapolis following a traffic stop. The incident was the latest shooting of an unarmed Black person by police following a year of intense racial justice protests across the country.

Meanwhile, former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, is undergoing a murder trial for the 2020 Memorial Day killing of George Floyd.

Sara Voigt, of Burlington, organized the rally along with a Friday night vigil in Burlington to honor the victims. Voigt said both her teenage sons are Black and she worries about their safety in everyday situations such as traffic stops.

"They have to deal with things that I don't because I'm white," Voigt said. "We've had to have 'the talk' with them about how they have to act. It's frustrating and worrisome."

One of her sons, Julian, attended the Saturday rally.

While the rally inspired many drivers to honk their horns in support, others who drove by indicated they did not agree. Voigt said some still don't understand the message of Black Lives Matter.

"It's not controversial," she said.

Sandy Trull, of Mount Vernon, attended the rally with her boyfriend and 21-year-old daughter. She said she has two nephews who are biracial and she too worries about their well-being.

"We need to make it a better place for them so they don't have to grow up in fear," she said.

As the murder trial of Chauvin draws to a close next week, Trull said she is feeling anxious about the verdict.

Lily Ruderman, a junior at Burlington-Edison High School, held a sign that stated "defund, dismantle, disarm." She said the message is to redirect funding from racist organizations to groups that will instead build up the community.

— Reporter Jacqueline Allison: jallison@skagitpublishing.com, 360-416-2145, Twitter: @Jacqueline_SVH