Thousands of protestors marched through New Orleans Thursday night a day after police used tear gas to disperse a protest they allege had turned violent.
The march was ultimately peaceful but began with an ultimatum from organizers that future actions could turn violent if the city did not meet their demands like more police accountability and defunding the deparment and using the money to fund social programs.
An organizer opened the march with comments at Duncan Plaza outside City Hall. He recounted his frustrations with the way New Orleans Police handled the protest the prior night.
“Hands up, don’t shoot, I can’t breathe, damn near begging for some humanity, begging for some respect, begging for some bottom line s— we shouldn’t even have to ask for.”
Earlier that day New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson explained why his officers felt the need to use tear gas. He says they had evidence from social media videos that showed protestors, who had gathered on the interstate, were planning to assault a police line to break through and onto the Crescent City Connection Bridge.
The march was noticeably larger than Wednesday’s, and organizers often worked commentary about income inequality, the military, and capitalism into their speeches about police brutality.
One speaker says George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis Police should be a wakeup call to those who’ve ignored previous pleas for racial justice.
“Grown man being murdered on the street, begging for a momma, he was calling you to get off your ass and get up.”
Law enforcement kept a good distance away from the protestors who often broke into chants of f— the police, and occasionally f— Drew Brees.
The march worked its way from City Hall through a black working-class neighborhood before ending at the Orleans Parish Criminal Court. Chants of “say his name, George Floyd” rang out, along with “black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe”.
Organizers vowed to return with another march tonight.
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