At a listening session held by the Rochester City Council Wednesday night, a girl who was branded an “outside agitator” by Rochester Police and Mayor Lovely Warren said she’s a University of Rochester sophomore who was attending her first demonstration.
Sonia McGaffigan was one of nine people arrested when police moved in on Black Lives Matter demonstrators in front of the Public Safety Building on September 5th. Former Police Chief La’Ron Singletary and the mayor noted that she was from Alaska and said there was evidence pointing to “outside agitators” in Rochester.
On Wednesday night the 19-year-old McGaffigan accused the former chief and the mayor of lying about her status to perpetuate a narrative of outside agitators. McGaffigan told council she was trying to leave after police ordered the demonstrators to disperse when she was knocked off her bicycle by a police officer. Two more held her down and handcuffed her, and she was pepper sprayed. She says she never saw her bicycle again but is thankful she suffered only bumps and bruises.
Others who had demonstrated on September 4th and 5th spoke of being shot in the head with pepper balls or in the neck at close range. One documentary film maker told council his national colleagues said the Rochester police response was more severe than in Portland or Kenosha.