In Pictures
Protesting racism in Washington
Demonstrators marched from Freedom Plaza and converged on Capitol Hill as a part of the ‘Justice for All’ rally.
Washington, DC –Thousands of protesters marched on the Capitol building with chants of “Hands up, don’t shoot,” “Black lives matter,” and “I can’t breath” in reference to the recent killings of unarmed black men by the police.
Demonstrators marched from Freedom Plaza and converged on Capitol Hill as a part of the “Justice for All” rally organised by the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Leading the rally were the families of Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Tamar Rice, Michael Brown and Amadou Diallo. The sea of demonstrators carried signs bearing the names of victims of police violence, and slogans such as “It could be your brother,” and “No justice, no peace.”
Sharpton detailed his demands for lawmakers, calling for an end to police brutality and racial profiling, before the families of the slain men took turns addressing the crowd.
Parents and spouses of the slain men thanked the protesters for their ongoing support and called for continued demonstrations in response to the recent grand jury decisions not to indict the police officers involved in the deaths.
Speakers also called on Congress to take action such as mandating police to carry body cameras, and to end racial profiling. Protesters vowed to continue to return to the Capitol until action is taken to address their demands.
