Thousands of people gathered in Springfield, Delaware County Sunday afternoon to show their support for law enforcement.
The event, described by organizers as a rally to support police, began around 3 p.m. at Miller’s Springfield Ale House on Baltimore Pike.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure many of you are tired of hearing about these anti-police protests (which are being protected by the police) so I think it’s about time we let the police know we still have their back,” wrote one of the organizers. “I propose we do a demonstration of our own (100% peaceful of course) and let them know they have our support.”
Amanda Layne, a Delaware County sheriff and one of the organizers, made over 1000 signs for the event, using a black poster board and gluing a thin blue line across the center.
Organizers handed out the signs and sold t-shirts as well to the demonstrators prior to the event. Around 2500 people stood on sidewalks creating lines that stretched for several blocks while cars drove by and honked their horns in support.
Layne told NBC10 the demonstrators raised around $7000 from the t-shirt sale alone. Layne also said she believes they doubled that amount through other donations though the final figures have not yet been calculated.
The proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the families of Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, the two NYPD officers who were shot and killed during an ambush attack in Brooklyn back on Dec. 20.
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Thousands of officers, including some from the Philadelphia Police Department, attended Liu’s funeral in New York Sunday as well as Ramos’ funeral back on Dec. 28.
During Sunday's rally, Police Chaplain William Brown told NBC10 that while there may be "bad apples" in every police force, it's stil important to highlight the good and have a constructive conversation.
"I think we need to understand there's good and bad in everything," Brown said. "We can't throw out the baby with the bath water."
