'I Can't Breathe': Police Brutality Protest Held In South Sacramento Streets In Honor Of George Floyd
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Protesters gathered in South Sacramento at Florin Road and 65th Street Wednesday evening.
"Stop killing us man," that's the plea from crowds that gathered with signs and stopped traffic to protest the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota man who died Monday after pleading that he could not breathe while a Minnesota police officer held him down with a knee on his neck. The encounter was all caught on camera and has since gone viral.
"People need to know that this is not okay. Because the more we let the cops get away with killing black and brown people in the streets the more that it is okay to happen, the more the lynchings in the streets will happen," Robert Cummings said.
Protesters largely remained peaceful as dozens of people blocked traffic. Some held a vigil to honor Floyd.
Large groups could be heard chanting for change and demanding accountability from police. As they stood in the road, protesters chanted "I can't breathe," "George Floyd," and "black lives matter." Some were seen carrying a sign that read "stop the war on black youth."
Protesters blocking traffic led to some altercations, but the protest largely remained peaceful. Most cars driving by honked in support while some could be seen driving straight through the crowd, narrowly missing protesters who were blocking traffic.
"We out here and we want it to change. We are not trying to be violent. We ain't trying to do nothing but get some kind of reform. Some kind of accountability for the lives that have been taken," Jerome McCoy said.
The protest began to clear out around 10 p.m. There was not a police presence during the gathering.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated a small fire was started during the protest. CBS13 has learned the fire was an accident and was immediately put out.
