In an emotional plea to end police violence against African-Americans, Black Lives Matter demonstrators blocked the intersection of North Ashley Drive and Tyler Street Monday evening as they memorialized those killed by police across the country.
Earlier, over 150 people gathered at Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa to show solidarity for the national Black Lives Matter movement. From there, they marched throughout the streets of downtown Tampa until they stopped at the intersection they blocked.
Many held posters with the names of black men who were very recently killed by police—Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in a Minneapolis suburb.
Tampa resident Chielle Thompson’s sign said, “When we comply, we still die.”
“People are still being murdered when they're compliant with the police officers,” said Thompson. “Who’s next?”
Yashica Clemmons, mother of Dominique Battle who died after driving a stolen car into a pond while being chased by Pinellas County deputies in March, was one of many to speak during the demonstration.
“I'm left here to pick up the pieces,” Clemmons said. “I'm left with questions and they don't want to give me any answers.”
Clemmons demanded justice for her daughter and her two friends who also drowned that night; she and others think police could have saved the three but chose not to.
The crowd that marched through the streets demanding justice was ethnically diverse, and activists sought to convey that their message was about peace, not about fighting with police.
“We're not anti-cop. We're anti-police brutality,” said Donna Davis, Black Lives Matter Tampa chapter president. “We need to replace the violence with justice, then we'll have peace.”
Speakers took turns using a megaphone to call for unity and justice throughout the demonstration.
Speaker Derrick Grace II urged people to “stop the division”.
“We have to figure out who divided us and who told you, ‘I'm not as good as you because my skin is darker than yours’,” said Grace.
Police shut down roads to keep the crowd safe during the two-hour demonstration.
After walking through the streets of downtown Tampa, the demonstrators marched towards the Interstate 275 ramp. Over 50 police officers formed a barricade with their bodies to block the crowd’s attempts to reach the highway.
The marchers then linked arms to form a circle that blocked traffic on the intersection of Ashley and Tyler. Many expressed their frustrations at how black people are being disproportionately targeted and killed by police officers.
“Black people are being gunned down by the people who are supposed to serve and protect,” said Curtis Sails III, co-founder of The Coalition for Justice. “When police officers take an oath, they’re supposed to protect all people… These police officers here could be the same ones that gun down black people in our communities.”
Demonstrator Loneisha Marchman wanted the community to understand and recognize that saying ‘black lives matter’ does not mean that other lives do not matter.
“All lives matter but we've always been looked over,” said Marchman. “Until we're all treated equal, then all lives can matter. But, black people’s lives have never mattered.”
The crowd sang Kendrick Lamar’s anthem "Alright" as the night of marching and demonstrating came to an end.
Demonstrators walked away hoping that progress and positive change are on the horizon.
“I know things are going to take some time and it's not going to happen overnight,” Thompson said. “But I feel like as long as people's hearts and minds are open to making a difference in this world, we can accomplish some things to make it better.”
