This Friday afternoon (7/10) high school students will use
SunRail for a Black Lives Matter march.
They will begin at the Meadow Woods SunRail station in
south Orange County -- less than a mile from Cypress Creek High School.
After a rally and speeches at the train station, they plan
to board a northbound SunRail train and ride to downtown Orlando. They will get
off at Church Street station and march around the corner to Orlando City Hall
for a rally with other activists. Then they will march to Orlando Police
headquarters, which is about a mile from City Hall.
Marchers will return to the SunRail station at Church
Street for the ride back to Meadow Woods at 3:50 p.m.
BLM protests have been held in Orlando for more than a
month and they’ve been overwhelmingly peaceful.
SunRail provides an excellent way for students from all
over Central Florida – from Poinciana to DeBary -- to join the movement that is
being organized by the Cypress Creek High School chapter of Amnesty
International.
The goal is for all the students to arrive at Orlando City
Hall by 1:30 p.m. Friday.
“This event is family-friendly for all of those who want to
show solidarity with the many lives lost due to police brutality and corruption
of authoritative power,” said Shania Shahab, president of the Cypress Creek
chapter.
Students from south Orange County are asked to arrive at
the Meadow Woods SunRail station at noon on Friday to make posters for the rally.
Organizers will provide art supplies. After opening comments, the marchers will
prepare to catch a downtown train at 1:20 p.m. SunRail runs on a tight
schedule, so don’t be late!
Organizers ask all participants to wear face masks and
bring water to stay hydrated.
Participants will also have to buy roundtrip SunRail
tickets. If you’re boarding at Meadow Woods, the roundtrip fare would be $4. (It’s
easiest to buy SunRail tickets from a vending machine in the station with a
debit or credit card). The fare could be more depending on where you board. For
more information on the fares and train schedules, click here.
The BLM event is a won-won for SunRail because ridership
has tanked due to the COVID-19 shutdowns and this is an opportunity for the
younger generation to see how to incorporate public transit in their lives.
See you on The Rail!
