get out!
The Juneteenth rally at Newport City Hall
Some assembly required
Balancing speech and safety
in a COVID-19 world
By RACHEL BAIRD & KRISTA
MELONE
For the TODAY
A global pandemic continues, but that
isn’t the only worldwide news these days.
People are gathering by the thousands in
large cities across the globe and here on
the coast rallies and protests are forming in
smaller groups.
These aren’t protests for re-opening the
economy or against wearing masks. These are
groups of people gathering to shed light on
systemic racism and protest police violence
against people of color. Health officials have
warned that the gatherings could result in
higher COVID-19 cases. In early June, the
CDC cautioned that we would see a large
spike in positive test results due to protests.
They encouraged people to wear masks and
socially distance, as well as getting tested
after participating in protests. As we enter
week four of ongoing protests in the US,
the fear of large spikes has settled slightly.
Health organizations have found that in
most large cities such as Minneapolis and
New York the overall case numbers continue
to drop despite large outdoor gatherings.
They warn that we are not out of the woods
yet and should continue to be vigilant in
testing.
Oregon has seen large protests in Salem
and Portland, but there are plenty of smaller
groups gathering in local coastal towns,
as well. In Lincoln City there have been
protestors along Highway 101 near the D
River Wayside. Rockaway Beach, Nehalem
and other small coastal communities have
seen groups holding demonstrations in
solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
On Friday, June 19, Newport saw a
group of about 60 people on the lawn
of City Hall for Juneteenth. Lincoln
County Commissioner Claire Hall joined
12 • oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • June 26, 2020