Hundreds Sit On Brooklyn Bridge In Protest Of Grand Jury Decision In Breonna Taylor Case
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Protests continued Friday in New York and around the country over a grand jury's decision not to charge the Louisville, Kentucky, police officers in Breonna Taylor's death.
Hundreds marched through Brooklyn from the Barclays Center to the Brooklyn Bridge, where they sat and refused to move for over an hour.
Dozens of NYPD cars driving on to Brooklyn Bridge where protesters have been sitting for the last hour. #BreonnaTaylor @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/6iJUt8KyrU
— Ali Bauman (@AliBaumanTV) September 26, 2020
Demonstrators are angry and exhausted over the grand jury's decision.
"This is extremely traumatizing. I have been out here since June, almost every day on the streets, marching for my Black life to show people that I matter, that it could be me, it could be him, it could be him, it could be any Black face that you see in this crowd," protester Sophie Michel told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
PROTESTS AND POLICE REFORMS
- Writer David Simon, The Wire Creator, Discusses Policing In America With CBS2's Maurice DuBois
- Timothy Cardinal Dolan Throws Support Behind NYPD, Calls For An End To 'Attacks'
- CBS2 Speaks With Members Of Cure Violence Group Man Up! Inc.
- NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams On What's Next When It Comes To Race
- Documentary Filmmaker Marshall Curry Discusses Where The Conversation Goes From Here
- Schomburg Center Releases 'Black Liberation Reading List'
- Black Parents Describe Tough Conversations About Racism With Their Children
- Complete CBS2 Coverage
Friday's rally was in solidarity with protests in Louisville, where even larger demonstrations are planned for the weekend. The city's police chief is urging armed militia to stay away.
"Many of them say they are coming to help us. Let me be clear, that is not help we need. That is not help we want," said Rob Schroeder, interim police chief of the LMPD.
In Kentucky on Friday, a crowd surrounded Breonna Taylor's family. Her aunt, Bianca Austin, wore Taylor's emergency medical technician jacket while reading a message from Taylor's mother, who was too distraught to speak.
"I was reassured Wednesday of why I have no faith in the legal system, in the police, in the law that are not made to protect us Black and brown people," Austin read.
"America at large will not stand by and allow a Black woman to be murdered and have no consequences," protester Kimberly Bernard said.
When asked if he would release the grand jury's report and transcript, the Kentucky Attorney General said he would revisit the question after the FBI finishes its independent investigation.
You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app. Download here.