Arbery Sr. was speaking directly to a group of supporters who traveled to Brunswick from across the country to support the family.
“We love you too!” replied the small crowd surrounding him, some of them spontaneously embracing Arbery Sr.
The supporters are part of the Washington, DC, based group Transformative Justice Coalition, which says it “seeks to be a catalyst for transformative institutional changes that bring about justice & equality in the US & abroad.”
The group, led by lawyers Barbara Arnwine and Darryl Jones, planned for a “week of action” organizing daily activities in support of the Arbery family to coincide with the start of jury selection. TJC bused in 70 people from cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Birmingham and Atlanta.
Among the things on their schedule was a visit, in coordination with local law enforcement, to the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, where Arbery was killed.
“This young man ran this route all the time,” said Arnwine, standing on the same road Arbery ran. “They didn’t know his name but they knew a Black man was running through the neighborhood.”
The subdivision in the outskirts of Brunswick is just less than two miles from Arbery’s former home.
Back in front of the courthouse, coalition members showed up every morning, proudly standing by a banner bearing the image of the late Congressman John Lewis.
“We are fired up! Can’t take it no more!” they chanted walking around the grounds of the courthouse.
“Ahmaud Arbery could’ve been anybody’s child,” said Lynne Whitfield, director of election protection at TJC.
Whitfield, who coordinates the on-the-ground efforts, was outside the courthouse every day since Monday.
She says TJC has pledged to support the Arbery family until a verdict is reached, with the organization’s two co-founders accompanying Arbery Sr. to court every day.
Among those making the week-long commitment was Peggy Neely Harris, 65, from Ferguson, Missouri.
“We came all…
Source : cnn
