Around two dozen people gathered in Troy in what organizers call a Unity Rally.

It was a protest that hoped of bringing together all races and demographics.

“There’s a lot of racism and hate, but there’s also just a lot of misunderstanding between cultures, between races,” Patrick Arryn, the event’s organizer said. “And I think if we can come together and we teach each other and love each other, I think we can make this country a better place.”

Though the crowd was mixed with people of all ages, races and political standpoints, the message was clear.

“We pray that we all be unified as one people,” Pastor Wayne Lot proclaimed. “Like Episcopal said, we’re one body, in Christ.”

A few Trump supporters attended the rally as well. They felt the protest’s efforts went against the unifying message and only divided the community further.

Being the small town that Troy is, city officials heard the backlash.

“I know some people ‘why us? You know, why would he come here?’” Jeff Straub, Troy’s city administrator recalled. “But it’s a message we all need to hear. A message of unity and moving forward and moving forward together.”

As more and more people move into Central Texas, Arryn said protests like these are necessary.

“We’re going to start seeing a different group of people live and come into our communities,” he said. “What I want to do is bring awareness to the fact that ‘hey, we’re more alike than we are different.’”

He said that awareness is just the beginning.

“Protesting is only step one, step two is you need to go out there and vote,” he said sternly. “You need to know what’s going on in your local community because it doesn’t start on a national stage, it starts on a local stage and I believe if we can get our local communities to come together we can get our national country to come together.”

Arryn plans to travel to Waco next to spread the word of unity and love to that community.

—KXXV