Tens of thousands of protesters gathered at Washington Square Park in New York City and marched to NYPD Headquarters on Saturday, Dec. 13 to demonstrate against police violence and excessive force, sparked by the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the chokehold of Eric Garner in Staten Island that also led to his death. A similar march was held in Washington, D.C., earlier that day.
A video featuring highlights from the demonstration is below:
Using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media, organizers posted the following on their website for the Millions March to further explain their cause:
New Yorkers expressed their outrage in protests last week, upon receiving news that the NYPD officer who strangled Eric Garner to death on camera would not be indicted. Thousands protested across the country, determined to show that the lack of accountability for police who kill unarmed Black people will no longer be tolerated.
The recent killings highlighted in the media belong to a pattern of state-sanctioned violence against Black people dating back further than Jim Crow. Anyone who believes in justice, equality, and the value of human life has a responsibility to stand up and say “no” to the senseless killing of Black people and the impunity of police who kill.
The grand jury’s decision not to indict the police officer responsible for strangling Eric Garner to death came on the heels of the same outcome for Darren Wilson, who killed Mike Brown in Ferguson. The grand jury decisions lead to a sustained wave of protests; and the organizers of the Millions March want to keep that wave going, taking another step forward with acts of mass civil disobedience.
Organizers are calling December 13th, 2014, a Day of Anger because it is a time for people to come together as a community to grieve, express pain and outrage, and begin the process of healing. This movement is grounded in principles of love, respect for human life, and a unifying belief that, together, we can transform our future.
