Black Lives Matter Protest Sweeps Through Center City
Image via Twitter
Less than 24 hours after a dozen people were arrested in Philadelphia while they were protesting the shooting by police of Alton Sterling in Louisiana, Black Lives Matter protesters and others took to the streets of Center City once again on Thursday night following the shooting of Philando Castile in Minnesota. Demonstrators also gathered in New York and Washington D.C., among other American cities.
Protestors heading down 12th street in Center City Philadelphia @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/LFZy438BtI
— Drew Smith (@drewsmithtv) July 7, 2016
The protest began during rush hour near the Convention Center, with demonstrators marching, singing and chanting as they walked to a rally at Arch Street United Methodist Church on Broad Street. SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel described the event as “peaceful.”
“There were many people at the march tonight but there should have been so many more,” says Northern Liberties resident Marion Leary. “People were holding signs such as ‘Not Another Hashtag’ and signs with the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. People were angry and sad, but also someone thanked me and my friend for being there and showing solidarity. Overall, though, there was the feeling of ‘enough!’ and ‘not again!’ and ‘no more!'”
Marchers just turned into market and are heading east @6abc pic.twitter.com/xyT152Q31i
— Christie Ileto (@Christie_Ileto) July 7, 2016
Leary says she started to tear up as the crowd chanted, “Hands up … Don’t shoot!”
“It is just so sad,” she says.
As of 10 p.m. on Thursday night, there were no reports of arrests.
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