Protesters Organize 'Die-In' After Eagles Game In South Philly
By Matt Rivers, Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Protesters were in the streets outside of Lincoln Financial Field after the Eagles game Sunday to protest grand jury decisions to not prosecute two white police officers who killed two unarmed black men.
Dozens of police officers lined the streets of Broad and Pattison as around 200 protesters took part in the die-in demonstration in a show of solidarity for Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
"We're just passionate about the issue," this protester tells KYW Newsradio. "We really feel as though it's wrong. We wanted to stand up, or in this case lay down, for what's right."
The gathering focused broadly on what organizers call "police brutality."
"Police officers who take the lives of black children for granted and who say that those lives don't matter," this demonstrator tells CBS3 Eyewitness News.
PHOTOS: Protesters Organize 'Die-In' Outside The Linc
Traffic was at a standstill while about 70,000 Eagles fans leaving the game walked by on the sidewalks, a few of them yelling disparaging remarks. Most Eagles fans agree, however, the Linc usually looks like this on gameday:
"It ddoesn'tseem any different than usual I guess."
After the die-in, protesters walked over to a meeting area where they prayed, sang a hymn and left on their way.
The heavy police presence was there to make sure everything remained peaceful, and it did.
"People have the right to their opinions and they have the right to protest, that's what this country was founded on and we have the obligation to protect everybody," says Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross
Everything was calm and peaceful, with no injuries or arrests made.
The leaders of the protest were a group of interfaith clergyman. Organizers say they plan on holding similar events in the near future.
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