More Than 100 March In Katonah Juneteenth Protest

KATONAH, NY — Two weeks ago, the first time they organized a Black Lives Matter protest, John Jay High School students Amelia Walsh and Sophia Boubli were heckled at by a man driving past.

"He yelled at us 'It's un-American'," Boubli said.

On Friday, they were more prepared, having sent out news releases, organized speakers and printed flyers. "I thought it was really important to have a protest today because it's Juneteenth," Walsh said. SEE: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday.

The 100 or so people who gathered at the Katonah Library for the 1 p.m. event agreed.

"I'm here because I'm multi-racial and I've seen a lot of what goes on," said Sophie Phillips, 24, of Goldens Bridge. "It has to stop."

Rune Davino of South Salem said he was there to "make sure that people of color are heard in this community, not just outside it."

Norma Brockman, 66, came to the northern Westchester community from White Plains because it was the closest protest to her home. "Silence is the quality of saying 'it's OK'," she said. Working as a day care director in Harlem was eye-opening, she said. "If those things had happened to someone in Rye or Scarsdale everyone would have been marching on the mayor."