Activists hold protests to draw attention to causes all the time, but a demonstration held in downtown Tampa Friday caused a commotion for local police and anyone who was trying to drive west on Kennedy Boulevard.
They were, of course, protesting recent cases of police brutality that resulted in the deaths of unarmed African-American boys and men, and the failure of the justice system to hold the officers involved accountable for possible wrongdoing.
More than 100 were in attendance, a crowd that some say nearly tripled over the course of the evening.
"The majority of our people are catching hell," Connie Burton, an outspoken activist on issues affecting the African-American community, said at the rally that preceded the march down Kennedy. "And those who are on the right side of history have the responsibility to overturn it."
Gathered at the southeast corner of Lykes-Gaslight Park, the crowd consisted of people of all ages — though most were young — and seemed relatively ethnically diverse. After numerous call-and-response protest chants and passionate speeches, they headed west on Kennedy, occupying the entire westbound lane. Two police officers on horses rode behind the crowd, and officers on bicycles created a barrier between the crowd and vehicular traffic.
When they got to the bridge connecting downtown's east and west sides, they stopped for several minutes before continuing east.
*Due to an absolutely disastrous footwear choice — six-inch spiked heels — this reporter left before the conclusion of the march. My former Tampa Tribune coworker Keith Morelli reported on what happened after the crowd headed to the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at Curtis Hixon, a highly caucasian affair. At one point, Morelli reports, their chants were louder than the music.
Read that report here. And get a load of the racist comments beneath Morelli's story. They're a hoot.
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2014.