Rally For Breonna Taylor In Bel Air Canceled

BEL AIR, MD — The protest for Breonna Taylor slated for Sunday in Bel Air has been canceled by organizer Harford Marathon. After an upset, the social justice group is disbanding.

Katie Pendergast of Harford Marathon issued a video statement Saturday night saying that a leading member of the organization was determined to be a tier-three sex offender, prompting an exodus from the group and the decision to shut down Harford Marathon altogether.

"I apologize for not being able to say his name right now," Pendergast said through tears, saying the person in question was the face of the organization. "To be transparent, I really wasn't ready to speak out about this or him or anything. He was my friend."

The activist group, dedicated to long-term social change, organized Black Lives Matter protests Sept. 5 and Sept. 19 at Festival Park in Aberdeen.

"I wanted to create a safer space for the Black community to speak," Pendergast said of Harford Marathon. "I do not feel comfortable continuing to use a platform with the intention of promoting safe spaces for people of color when that space doesn't feel safe anymore."

Said Pendergast: "All of the other members of the team did leave, understandably."

She said she would be closing the organization's social media accounts and encouraged people to join other social justice organizations.

"As of today, I am shutting down Harford Marathon," Pendergast said Saturday. "I encourage all of you to reach out to your local protest organizations, and give them the love that they deserve."

PREVIOUS REPORT (EXPIRED) — Activists in Harford County are organizing a peaceful protest Sunday afternoon in Bel Air drawing attention to the death of Breonna Taylor. The 26-year-old Black woman was killed by police in March. Officers shot into her apartment in Louisville, Ky, during a drug investigation involving her ex-boyfriend. None of the officers has been charged in her death.

One officer involved in the shooting was indicted this week on charges of wanton endangerment for blindly firing into neighboring apartments. The Louisville Metro Police Department also terminated him in June for violating policies against lethal force and showing indifference to the value of human life.

Protests have sprung up around the country calling for accountability in Taylor's death, with demonstrators pushing for a murder charge.

"This is a wake-up call," rally organizer Harford Marathon posted on the event page. "Enough is enough.

The activist group, dedicated to long-term social change, also organized Black Lives Matter protests Sept. 5 and Sept. 19 at Festival Park in Aberdeen.

The Black Lives Matter Peaceful Protest Rally for Breonna Taylor will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27, across from the Harford County Sheriff's Office, 45 S. Main St., Bel Air.

See Also:

• Police Officers Not Directly Charged In Death Of Breonna Taylor
• Drive For Justice Protest Calls For End To Police Brutality
• Protest For Black Lives In Bel Air: Watch