Tens of thousands of protesters streamed out of New York City's Washington Square Park on Saturday to protest the killings of unarmed black people by police officers, as part of the "Millions March NYC."
The crowd began to wind its way through Manhattan. A large labor union contingent was present, including members of the Communications Workers of America wearing red shirts and AFL-CIO supporters waving blue signs.
In contrast to other marches over the past weeks, this large, orderly demonstration took place during the day. A number of families with children took part, and demonstrators followed a pre-planned route. The march made its way uptown to Herald Square, then looped back downtown, with thunderous chants of "Hands up! Don't shoot!" and "Justice! Now!" echoing down Broadway. The demonstration culminated at One Police Plaza, the New York City Police Department's Lower Manhattan headquarters.
Organizers estimated that 30,000 demonstrators participated in the march. The NYPD told The Huffington Post that, as of the official end of the march, no arrests had been made.
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., thousands of demonstrators streamed down Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday, shouting “Black lives matter,” “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “I can’t breathe” to call attention to the recent deaths of unarmed African American men at the hands of police.
The peaceful civil rights march led by families of the slain and organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network drew a wide range of Americans — black, white, Latino, Asian, young and elderly. They walked east toward the U.S. Capitol in a stream of colorful T-shirts, banners and signs.
The day’s most poignant moment came when a number of family members of black men and boys killed by police — Eric Garner, Michael Brown, John Crawford III, Tamar Rice and Amadou Diallo — took the stage at a rally at the Capitol.
Across the country, anger at the killing of unarmed African American men by police translated to the sight of thousands of people marching in San Francisco and Oakland. The crowds there were passionate but peaceful, and at times almost festive, as marchers moved together, then rallied on the steps of public buildings. There were speeches calling for a sustained effort to push for improved racial conditions in the United States.
Originally published by SF Gate, The Washington Post and The Huffington Post
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