Protesters demanding widespread reform of the police took the streets on April 14, as killings of unarmed black men have become all-too frequent in US headlines.
Activists from various civil rights groups rallied in different cities throughout the country. Signs carried by the protesters in New York read: “Stop Police brutality and mass murder.” Protesters spread the message on social media websites using hashtags, including the popular #BlackLivesMatter.
In New York, activists temporarily shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. Protesters used the hashtag #Shutdown14 to mobilise for the rallies. Several arrests were made after the protesters blocked the critical bridge.
The protests come just one week after a police officer was charged with murder after fatally shooting unarmed Black man Walter Scott in South Carolina on April 5. They come in the wake of increased publicity of the disproportionate number of police shootings of Black men.
The activists came from all walks of life. They carried posters with images of those murdered by police in recent months, including Ferguson teenager Michael Brown, who was shot dead by an officer in August last year.
Brown’s killing launched mass unrest in his home state of Missouri and further highlighted the depth of the racism that Black people face in the US. The officer who shot Brown was cleared of any wrongdoing and the shooting was ruled as self-defence.
Meanwhile, members of the Justice league NYC also organised a 250-mile walk from New York to Washington D.C: they are due to reach the National Mall April 21. There were also mass protests in Chicago and San Francisco. The nationwide protests were organised by New York-based Stop Mass Incarceration Network.
[Reprinted from TeleSUR English.] “Protesters demanding widespread reform of the police took the streets on April 14, as killings of unarmed black men have become all-too frequent in US headlines.
Activists from various right groups rallied in different cities throughout the country. Signs carried by the protesters in New York read: “Stop Police brutality and mass murder.” Protesters spread the message on social media websites using hashtags, including the popular #BlackLivesMatter.
In New York, activists temporarily shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. Protesters used the hashtag #Shutdown14 to mobilise for the rallies. Several arrests had been made after the protesters blocked the critical bridge in New York.
The protests come just one week after a police officer was charged with murder after fatally shooting unarmed Walter Scott in South Carolina on April 5. They come in the wake of increased publicity of the disproportionate number of police shootings of Black men.
The activists came from all walks of life. They carried posters with images of the murdered by the police in recent months, including Ferguson teenager Michael Brown, who was shot dead by an officer back in August last year.
Brown’s killing launched mass unrest in his home state of Missouri and further highlighted the depth of the racism that black people face in the US. The officer who shot Brown was cleared of any wrongdoing and the shooting was ruled as self-defence.
Meanwhile, members of the Justice league NYC also organised a 400-kilometre walk from New York to Washington D.C: they are due to reach the National Mall on April 21. There were also mass protests in Chicago and San Francisco. The nationwide protests were organised by New York-based Stop Mass Incarceration Network.
[Reprinted from TeleSUR English.]