A planned Black Lives Matter event, whose organizer hoped would serve as a peaceful demonstration in Vandergrift, was canceled after social media comments included calls for violence.
Cicily Bailey, 19, scheduled the event for Thursday and posted her plans to Facebook, where they were quickly shared by friends and supporters. A nine-minute moment of silence — representing the nearly nine minutes that a Minneapolis police officer’s knee was pushed into George Floyd’s neck — would be observed and followed by a march around town beginning at the Casino Theater on Lincoln Street. The protest was filed with and approved by the Vandergrift police department.
It didn’t take long, Ms. Bailey said, before the comments became ugly. First, supporters threatened to bring guns and incite a riot.
“I said, ‘Guys, this is a peaceful protest,’ ” Ms. Bailey recalled. “I talked with the chief of police myself and he was going to march.”
Other comments came from critics, who threatened Ms. Bailey and others who planned to march.
“(Expletive) you and your Black Lives Only matters,” one comment states. Another shows a photo of a box of ammunition with the caption, “It’s time, folks, we need a good cleaning of the world.”
A commenter encouraged the Westmoreland County borough to “lock and load” in anticipation of the protest. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 1,500 comments had been made to Ms. Bailey’s post, she said.
Ms. Bailey said her Facebook profile picture was shared on other pages with hateful messages. One person threatened to “beat her with a gun,” she said, adding that the comments were reported to police, who have since been patrolling her neighborhood.
Posters also shared Ms. Bailey’s address and other personal information on Facebook, a process called “doxing.” That, she said, convinced her to cancel the Thursday protest.
“I didn’t think it was fair. I advertised it plenty of times that it was a peaceful protest and it turned violent.
“I think people are scared. They saw what happened with the Pittsburgh protest. They’re thinking, ‘oh my gosh, they’re gonna break windows and burn cars,’ ” she said.
Despite the threats, Ms. Bailey plans to reschedule the march for Sunday. She emphasized that it will be peaceful and discouraged violence.
She plans to meet Friday with Vandergrift police Chief Joseph Caporali to “iron out the details,” but plans for it to begin on Grant Avenue and loop around town. It will most likely take place in the evening.
The details will again be posted to Facebook. and Ms. Bailey promises they will remain posted no matter what.
“I’m ready for whatever hate people bring,” she said.
Elsewhere, a small protest was held in Saxonburg in Butler County on Wednesday afternoon. Police and business owners kept an eye out as a group of protesters waved signs outside the South Butler Community Library and later marched down the street.
WISR-AM radio reported that the protest remained peaceful.
First Published: June 3, 2020, 11:11 p.m.
Updated: June 4, 2020, 11:24 a.m.
