Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry From left Ellen Paquette, Olivia Shaffer, and Chloe Shaffer, protest racism and police brutality Friday outside of Warren County Courthouse on Friday. About 15 protesters were present at 3 p.m. The group numbered more than 20 at its peak, according to organizers.

A group of protesters gathered at the Warren County Courthouse on Friday to protest inequality, injustice, racism and police brutality, in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

Floyd died on May 25, handcuffed, lying face-down in a Minneapolis street as police officer Derek Chauvin knelt with a knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes.

Protests have erupted nationwide in response.

On Friday, a group of concerned citizen activists, including, but not limited to Warren Indivisible members, gathered at the courthouse to make their feelings known.

They cheered. They carried signs.

“We’re here because the way that man died was absolutely awful,” Brianna Powers of Warren said. “For the first time, I saw someone being murdered on the national news. Worse, I had to explain it to my nine-year-old son.”

She had to act.

Powers used Facebook to organize the protest.

When Indivisible heard of it, they asked to be included.

“We’re here because black lives matter,” Sally Eaton of Indivisible said. “People are becoming aware of an issue that’s been around for a long time,” she said. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s outrageous.”

“To put a knee on a man’s neck for 8.5 minutes when he was not resisting arrest…” Eaton said. “A lot more people are realizing they have to get out and say something.”

Many of the signs referred to “Black Lives Matter.”