Protesters rally in downtown York and on the steps of the city police department

“This right here brings us together, but now we have to stay together and go down there and talk to them behind closed doors."

• Ed Mahon
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Ed Mahon / PA Post

Protesters gather in York on June 2, 2020.

Standing on the steps outside the York City Police Department, Michael Hatcher encouraged his fellow protesters to use Tuesday’s protest as a springboard for further action — starting with showing up to city government meetings.

“This right here brings us together, but now we have to stay together and go down there and talk to them behind closed doors,” Hatcher said, “because they delegate on our lives, our community, what happens with our kids. And we don’t have a say in it because we’re not there.”

Hatcher, 28, was one of hundreds who gathered in downtown York Tuesday evening to protest the death of  George Floyd — a black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis last week.

Hatcher participated in an organized rally, and then joined a smaller group of more than 100 people who marched to the York City Police Department.

York’s mayor, Michael Helfrich, joined protestors both at the organized rally and at the event outside the city police department. He and other demonstrators stressed the need for peaceful protests.

For more coverage of the event, see the videos and photos below.

Singing: “We shall overcome.”

York’s mayor and police commissioner spoke earlier. pic.twitter.com/lKaOBwrJqM

— Ed Mahon (@edmahonreporter) June 2, 2020

Crowd, including the mayor, giving the peace sign. pic.twitter.com/QdWog2VgYs

— Ed Mahon (@edmahonreporter) June 3, 2020

Crowd walking: pic.twitter.com/gQ7UlcLi7O

— Ed Mahon (@edmahonreporter) June 2, 2020

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