PUNTA GORDA, FLA — Walking, kneeling or chanting.
Young, old and all colors.
More than 700 people came together in Punta Gorda Friday to amplify the following message.
"All lives do matter, but right now we need to focus on the black ones because those are the ones that are constantly being jeopardized, because those are the ones that are on the line right now, because those are the ones at stake," said protest co-organizer Carson McNamara.
A protest for racial equality, organized by a group of recent high school grads in the area. And a few other local groups.
"Because we're such like more a suburban community we thought it was especially important to do this in this specific environment where our town is predominantly white and show that the movement still happens here," said Annamaria Belevitch.
While those who came out say they're encouraged by the turnout, they say they don't want people's activism to stop at this pavement.
For them the key to creating the lasting change they want to see, happens like this.
"We take it to the ballot box, we got to vote. That's one of the biggest things," said McNamara.
"I think we need to become more politically active which is why I am running," said Allen Ellison.
Ellison is a Democrat who is running for Florida's District 17 seat.
Event organizers tell Fox 4 that they will be holding another rally next Friday at Laishley park again.
They also plan to register people to vote at next week's protest.
