CHICAGO — Amid freezing temperatures and chanting “killer cops must go,” at least a dozen protesters arrived Friday night outside a police station in one of the first planned protests over the murder of Tire Nichols at the hands of Memphis police.
Coast-to-coast protests are planned this weekend after law enforcement in Memphis released a disturbing video of the fatal beating of Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who died three days after a roadside check on Jan. 7.
Video of the murder, which involved five black officers, shows Nichols being shocked, belted with a baton, repeatedly punched in the face and assaulted despite appearing to offer no resistance.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis told CNN Friday that the video “depicts acts that defy humanity.”
LIVE:Memphis to release footage of a traffic stop that resulted in the death of Tire Nichols
Protesters in Chicago arrive in freezing temperatures, sparking outrage
A dozen people gathered outside a Chicago police station in freezing temperatures on Friday night to protest the murder of Tire Nichols and to draw attention to the murder of Anthony Alvarez, who was fatally shot by Chicago police in 2021.
“From Memphis to Chicago, these killer cops must go,” the band chanted. Some held signs reading “Justice for Tire Nichols” and “End Police Terror.”
Ana Santoyo, 33, a Chicago native and candidate for city councilor, said the killing is another reminder that police brutality is rampant in the United States. “It’s not just bad apples. It’s the whole group,’ she said.
Santoyo said no mother should have to go through what Nichols’ mother is going through. Santoyo, who is Mexican-American, said she was concerned about how police would view her own toddler son when he grows up.
“We know time and time again that the police aren’t protecting us — every time we hear a different name, every time we have to say a different name,” she said.
Kamran Sidiqi, 27, who helped organize the protest, said he hopes the protests in Chicago and across the country will send the message that Memphis is not alone in demanding justice for Nichols. For Sidiqi, justice begins with the conviction of the officers involved.
“It’s hard to imagine what justice is here, for Tyr will never come back,” he said. “He is someone’s son, someone’s friend lost forever. It’s a man’s life gone. But a little justice would land those murderous cops in jail. A little justice would build a whole new system so it can’t happen again.”
Dozens of people march through Times Square in New York
Protesters began marching through a crowded Times Square shortly after 7:30 p.m
New York City Council member Chi Ossé, the 24-year-old Brooklynite who was elected after leading the Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, stood next to the protesters, who formed a small crowd formed in the sparkling tourist center.
“Nothing has actually changed since 2020,” said Ossé. “And at least we’ve seen police budgets increase across the country, haven’t we?”
Just before 8 p.m., protests continued south on Seventh Avenue, as spectators in Times Square watched. Traffic stopped as the walkers passed.
“Justice for,” one speaker shouted into a megaphone. “Tyre Nichols,” the walkers chanted.
“Acts that defy humanity”
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis told CNN Friday that the video “depicts acts that defy humanity.”
“You will see a disregard for life, a duty of care we have all sworn to and a level of physical interaction beyond what is required in law enforcement,” the chief said.
This description recalls the video of police officers beating Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991. The acquittal of the officers involved in this incident sparked widespread protests.
The incident also comes more than two years after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police — also captured on camera — sparked local protests and a global racial justice movement.
The family asked their supporters to demonstrate peacefully. At a press conference on Friday, Rodney Wells, Nichols’ father-in-law, said: “We want peace above all else. We don’t want any kind of riot, we don’t want any kind of disruption.”
Cities from Portand, Oregon to Washington, DC, are anticipating protests
Organizations and individuals across the country said they were planning or expecting protests on Friday.
On Friday afternoon, mayors of major cities met with White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and senior adviser to President Julie Rodriguez on a call to be briefed on federal preparations for the expected protests. “White House scientists have asked mayors to maintain regular contact over the coming days and reiterated that the president will remain clear in his message to the American people that peaceful protest is appropriate, but violence is not never acceptable,” the statement said. . read.
Peaceful protest encouraged
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on residents to protest peacefully following the release of the video.
“From what I’ve been led to believe, these are going to be very difficult videos for people to watch. And people are going to have a lot of emotional reactions to them. But I hope that emotional reaction doesn’t lead to property destruction, acts of violence, or anything that frankly undermine the strength of our city,” said Lightfoot.
Prior to the video’s release, several law enforcement groups said they planned to closely monitor the protests.
The New York Police Department said it will have “tightened security at precincts” and additional officers in “hot spots” such as Times Square.
“The department has reviewed, modified and modified our response to the protests and stands ready to protect the constitutional right to protest peacefully, and is working to ensure the public safety of every New Yorker exercising their First Amendment rights,” said the statement. law enforcement agency in a statement. .
Washington, DC says “illegal conduct” will not be tolerated
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., said it “will not tolerate unlawful conduct at First Amendment protests, and we will take immediate enforcement action if anyone violates the law.”
The Dallas Police Department said in a statement that it will “respect everyone’s right to protest” but will take “appropriate action if anyone’s actions threaten life or cause injury to persons or property.”
Meanwhile, tensions in Atlanta were already high over the murder of Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, an environmentalist who allegedly shot a police officer. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
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