Sunbury resident plans unity rally to counter unauthorized Saturday protest

By Francis Scarcella

fscarcella@dailyitem.com

SUNBURY — City officials and the police department were caught off guard during an impromptu White Lives Matter demonstration that took place in downtown Sunbury on Saturday.

At around 1 p.m. Saturday the group of about 14 masked people arrived at Front and Market Streets and set up banners that read, “One Race, One Nation — End Immigration,” and waving Neo Nazi and American flags for about 45 minutes before attempting to make a quiet exit on a nearby side street in a van with a completely covered license plate. On Sunday, city resident and community activist Vicki Rosancrans said by the time she was made aware the group was in the area, she had missed them.

Rosancrans said she would have stayed in the area and held her own signs spreading love, and will do so on Feb. 24 when she hosts a rally in the exact spot as the group allegedly from the Harrisburg area did Saturday.

“We are organizing a Rally in

See UNITY, Page A3

UNITY, from Page A1 the Valley, and are asking citizens to come stand together in peace, love and unity to close the divide that is being perpetuated in our country by hate speech.”

Rosancrans said she plans to announce the time of the rally once the final details are made.

Mayor Josh Brosious said he was made aware of the situation and that no permit was bought within the city for the demonstration.

Brosious said he did not agree with the message the group was displaying, but said if the unknown group had gone through the proper procedures to hold the rally, he would not have intervened.

Councilman Jim Eister said he began to receive phone calls from residents and by the time he made his way to the area, the group had already shut down the gathering.

“I saw them walking but it was a group of people and I could not see who was who because of the commotion,” he said. “In no way do I believe in their message but I agree with the mayor that if they had gone through the proper channels we could not have stopped them from holding the rally.”

Eister said police Chief Travis Bremigen was called and was given the details of the gathering and a description of the van.