The June 19 killing of Antwon Rose II at the hands of a police officer once again revived the age-old conversation about civil disobedience. Activists and residents of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas banded together to call for accountability and justice. Protesters made noise and blocked roads, disrupting traffic and other daily activities.

Residents not partaking in the action seemed split over what these demonstrations should look like and what they accomplish.

For a deeper understanding, we looked to activists and history to offer a clearer view of the debate over civil disobedience.

This is the first installment in a three-part series in which we are taking a step back to explain important concepts bubbling below the surface of topical issues in Pittsburgh.

Jourdan Hicks is a community reporter at PublicSource, she can be reached at jourdan@publicsource.org.

Ryan Loew is PublicSource’s visual storyteller/producer. He can be reached at ryan@publicsource.org or on Twitter at @RyanLoew.

Know more than you did before? Support this work with a MATCHED gift!

Through Dec. 31, the Wyncote Foundation, Loud Hound Foundation and our generous local match pool supporters will match your new monthly donation 12 times or double your one-time gift, all up to $1,000. Now that's good news!

Readers tell us they can't find the information they get from our reporting anywhere else, and we're proud to provide this important service for our community. We work hard to produce accurate, timely, impactful journalism without paywalls that keeps our region informed and moving forward.

However, only about .1% of the people who read our stories contribute to our work financially. Our newsroom depends on the generosity of readers like yourself to make our high-quality local journalism possible, and the costs of the resources it takes to produce it have been rising, so each member means a lot to us.

Your MATCHED donation to our nonprofit newsroom helps ensure everyone in Allegheny County can stay up-to-date about decisions and events that affect them. Please make your gift of support now.

Jourdan is a senior community correspondent at PublicSource. Previously, Jourdan was engaged as a community-based educator in the Hazelwood section of the city. A lifelong Pittsburgh resident, she’s...