NEW YORK—About 3,000 people gathered for a rally against police brutality Saturday on Staten Island. Organized by the National Action Network, it was a reaction to the death of Eric Garner killed July 17th after a policeman put him in a chokehold.
The organizers broadened the purpose to a national issue highlighting the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man who was shot by a policeman in Ferguson, Mo., on August 9th.
The Epoch Times asked six people on their way to the rally why did they chose to attend. The responses were edited for clarity.
Rachel Gregory, Manhattan: Because I think that our police force is very directly tied to systems of white supremacy and I think it’s clear, based on the number of killings that have happened across the country of unarmed black and brown men, that we have a clear problem in the United States with the way that we value men of color and their lives and the way that the police force chooses to treat those people. And I think it’s time that we actually take a stand about it.
Karen Hofmann, Manhattan: Because I live in this city and I’m outraged about what’s happening. I was part of Occupy [Wall Street] and I saw the police in action with their military tactics and I want to put an end to it.
Dr. Delores Jones-Brown, New York City: I’ve been writing about the kinds of killings that we’re protesting about since the late 90s and I think that the police in this country have gotten to be out of control in terms of causing the death of innocent black people in particular but innocent people in general.
Greginald Spencer, Brooklyn: I chose to come to make a difference. I feel like often times we talk about change but what are we doing to contribute to change? I just want to make a contribution today.
Rashein Hobbs, the Bronx: [I want] justice and equality for everybody—be treated like a human being—that’s what this is about, treating people like a human being.
Ben Lerner, New York City: I chose to come because every day another unarmed person of color is being murdered by the police, so I feel it’s everybody’s responsibility to protest that.
All images by Petr Svab, Epoch Times.
