Veterans Memorial Park in Endicott is usually a site to honor and remember fallen soldiers. Thursday, it was the protest site for community members who decided to speak out about local officials.

"I'm here today because we need to hold elected officials accountable for comments they make, even if they're on social media, if they texted them," said Michael Youmans, a local resident.

Last weekend, Facebook posts surfaced of Mayor Linda Jackson and Deputy Mayor Cheryl Chapman "liking" a "White Lives Matter" post. 

Chapman shared the post, and later apologized. But many protesters took offense after seeing the post.

"And if you look at what's going on today all across the country, you have no choice but to look at it like it's a direct jab at Black people," said Youmans.

The mayor's office did not want to comment about the protest. And protesters weren't the only ones at the memorial. Many American Legion riders showed up too.

"We were told they were going to come up and ruin something or knock it down, so we did, we came up here, and they had their arguments and all that, but they didn't ruin anything at all," said Manny Fasano, the American Legion Riders president.

Some conversations were heated, but others talked aside from the main protest about issues of race.

"When I got a chance to talk to some of them, I think they saw things a little differently, and so did I," said Reverend LaDana Clark. "Because we were able to talk civilly to one another, and I understand their connection to these monuments."

There's hope these conversations lead to better understanding.

"We're not saying that we want to have an uprising and tear down somebody's community, or rise up against white people. That's not what we're saying," Clark said. "We're talking about equal justice, equal economics, we're talking about equal education when we say that."

Around 200 people attended the protest.