When Black Lives Matter protesters and counter-protesters met in the streets of Dallas Sunday afternoon, police officers and SWAT looked on, poised for an inevitable clash.
While supporters of Black Lives Matter marched down the sidewalk shouting, “Too black, too strong,” participants of a counter-protest waved American and Texas flags in support of police officers.
“I do believe that black lives matter, but all lives matter; it’s not just one race,” Conner McCasland, 21, said. “Not saying what they are doing over there is wrong though.” He said he was there to support police officers risking their lives.
Black Lives Matter supporters said the counter-protesters were making the rally “look like a war” and rally organizer Britney Morrison said that the counter-protesters didn’t want unity.
However, after one hour of standing on opposite sides of the road, both group leaders met in the middle to discuss uniting.
“We are not against each other, we are all on the same page,” Morrison, 27, said. “Black Lives Matter does not mean all lives don’t matter.” Her boyfriend Samuel Barnes agreed. “Lives matter. Just lives matter,” he said. “Not black lives or all lives — lives matter. We are all Americans. We are all children of God.”
The two rally leaders shook hands before inviting all protestors to the middle where hugs were exchanged and tears shed. “This is how walls get kicked down,” one protester can be heard saying on the video.
The men and women then grasped hands, gathered into a circle, and prayed. Some of the police officers joined the circle and protesters laid their hands on them.
“I’ve seen a lot of protests, but I’ve never seen them come together like that,” Jeff Hall, the police sergeant, said. “Makes me feel great to see people with such differences come together and work it out.”
“Today, we’re going to show the rest of the country how we came together,” one young man said in the video as the protesters stood with their arms around each other. Another man agreed, speaking through his tears. “It’s time for us to stop this today. No more walls.”
