On Saturday December 13th, a mass?of people came out to voice their anger against police violence in the Millions March. With the no true bill announcements in both the choke hold death of Eric Garner and the fatal shooting of Michael Brown at the hands of white officers,?a mass protest like this seemed like a long time coming.
The march started in Washington Square Park with marchers who drove?hours to be there. Twenty minutes before stepping off? the park, the crowd had become an ocean of demonstrators. Not even halfway through, the mass of people stretched out to what had to be at least several miles long. The march headed uptown on 5th Avenue to 32nd Street then turned on to Broadway heading downtown to One Police Plaza.? There is no way to get an exact number of protesters, but Time Magazine estimates 25,000?were marching.?I have a feeling it was much more than that though.
I’m also aware the corporate media tends to downplay events such as these.? However, that does not matter. What matters is the fact that people nationwide are aware of the massive violence committed by police, and they want it to stop.
According to AlterNet, a black man?is killed by police on an average of every 28 hours. Something is very wrong with that number. I find it impossible to believe that every single one of those victims was a violent threat. It would be naive to think that deadly force is always unnecessary. However, if you are a cop and you feel the need to kill everyone who comes off as a threat maybe it’s time to turn in the badge and gun and seek employment elsewhere. Also, when use of force is disproportionately used against people of color then it’s time we realize that there is a systematic problem in law enforcement that needs to be addressed.
We the people demand change and accountability, and we will continue marching until we see it. We can’t breath. It stops today. RIP Eric Garner.
Images courtesy of David Christopher.
Let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page. Sign up for our free daily newsletter to receive more great stories like this one.
David Christopher is a veteran, proud liberal, and a New Jersey native. He served as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army and is a PTS and MST survivor. David is a devout Episcopal, a feminist, sex positive, and a strong supporter of LGBT rights. The only strong hatreds he has are toward the Boston Red Sox, The New England Patriots, and The New York Rangers.
