In the second local protest against the death of George Floyd and other black men in police custody, a group of demonstrators marched to Pike Place Wednesday and kneeled silently for nine minutes, representing the length of time a former Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck until he lost consciousness.
The marchers gathered hours before Minnesota authorities announced that all four ex-officers involved in Floyd’s Memorial Day death are now facing charges, with the charges against the officer who restrained the handcuffed Floyd upgraded to second-degree murder. The other officers were charged with aiding and abetting a murder.
The crowd of more than 50 people — some of them wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts and holding signs bearing the names of African Americans who’ve died at the hands of police — stepped off from the Speed Cabin on the grounds of the Lane Place for the sweltering midday march to the Peace Pole.
“It’s an anti-racist event, it is not an anti-police event,” said Agata Szczeszak-Brewer, who co-organized the march. “It’s an event that’s against police brutality. And we want to show support for our black neighbors and colleagues who do live and work with us in this town, even though the town itself isn’t very diverse.
“We are here. We want to show them that we hear them and that we will fight with them to make sure that police brutality is addressed in a legislative way,” she added.
Organizers called for nationwide laws against chokeholds and neck restraints as law enforcement tactics, urged the appointment of civilians to police review boards and an “active purge” of white supremacists on police forces.
“I believe the police system needs reformed and I want to stand for people who can’t stand for themselves,” Kara Riley, who is co-organizing a third peaceful protest at Pike Place for noon Saturday, said as she waited for the march to begin.
Police blocked traffic on South Washington Street as the group reached Pike Place, where some of the protesters bowed their heads as they kneeled. Mayor Todd Barton showed his support for the marchers as they gathered at the cabin and arrived at the downtown park.
As the march kicked off, Linda Spencer waited at Pike Place with a sign supporting the group’s message.
“We keep pledging allegiance to the flag claiming liberty and justice for all, but that’s not what we’re seeing happening and so I want to remind everybody as Americans we want liberty and justice for all — and that should not be dependent on the color of their skin,” Spencer said.
Szczeszak-Brewer said more events would be planned to speak out against police brutality.
“Nothing would change after one event. We have to keep going — not just marching, but also writing to our legislators, educating our family members and friends [and] neighbors about white supremacy,” she said. “There are many ways you can protest.”
