Residents and businesses preparing for Saturday's protests
SCRANTON, LACKAWNNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— With the protests in Los Angeles taking a violent turn, many are left to wonder how the situation escalated so quickly.
And with more protests happening nationwide this weekend, could what's happening in LA also happen here in Northeast PA?
28/22 News reporter Avery Nape was in Scranton talking to residents and business owners to see how they are feeling ahead of the protest in the Electric City this weekend.
Hundreds of protests will be happening across the country Saturday, including right here on courthouse square in downtown Scranton. It's all part of what organizers are calling the 'No Kings' movement.
Public voices opinion on Wilkes-Barre mural
While this is a nationwide movement, several protests will be happening right here in NEPA.
Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Tunkhannock, and Bloomsburg to name a few.
So far more than 200 people have responded on Facebook as attending the protest in Scranton.
Organizers describe the movement as a 'national day of defiance' against President Trump and what they call 'attacking civil rights and slashing services.'
Residents and business owners I spoke with in Scranton say they are not concerned with the protests though, in fact, they welcome them.
'I think a lot of the talk of violence is overblown and intended to intimidate people and to keep them home, and it should be the opposite,' voiced Scranton resident Mary Murphy.
'When the people come over here, even for protest, but then everybody has to eat. So everybody can spend some money to other stores, you know what I mean,' stated Vito Sparacio, owner, Pizza by Pappas.
According to the movement's website the 'No Kings' protests are non-violent events. They say anyone planning to attend should seek to de-escalate any potential confrontations.
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