Black Lives Matter preparing for 6 weeks of protest in Savannah

Savannah will soon play host to six weeks of protests from Black Lives Matter Savannah, WJCL reports.

The protests, being organized by BLM Savannah founder Jomo Johnson, were inspired by President Donald Trump’s reaction to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia wherein the president placed blame for the day’s tragic events not just at the feet of white supremacists but also on counter-protestors, according to WJCL.

The protests, which are still tentative, would target locations like the Chatham County Jail, confederate monuments in the area, and various churches that the organization believes have exhibited racial bias. The goal is to highlight racial inequality not just in Savannah, but nationwide, WJCL reports.

Protesters will aim to get confederate monuments removed, and might be speaking to a receptive audience, as Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach has already inquired about altering monuments to make them more inclusive and changing the name of the Talmadge Bridge.

The protests are intended to be peaceful, but protestors will be willing to be civilly disobedient. Johnson told WJCL that while BLM protestors would not incite violence, they would not hesitate to respond in kind if they became the targets of violence.

He was also emphatic in speaking with WJCL that the protest is not against Savannah itself, which he considers to be a beautiful city, but against the history of the city, which he said needs to be confronted.

The protests are being organized under the name “Make America OURS Again – A Call To Impeachment” and are in the early planning stages. No specific dates have been announced, but the BLM Savannah website says that they will begin this month.

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Black Lives Matter preparing for 6 weeks of protest in Savannah."