New York march demands justice for Stephon Clark
New York, NY – Over 1000 people gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on March 28, to protest the police killing of Stephon Clark. Clark was a 22-year-old unarmed Black man who was shot 20 times and killed by police officers in Sacramento, California.
First, the crowd rallied at Columbus Circle with chanting and speeches. Hertencia Petersen, the aunt of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old Black man killed by police in Brooklyn in 2014, gave a compelling speech in solidarity with Clark and all victims of police violence.
“What I want is for this system to be dismantled,” Petersen said. All speakers at the rally had a similar message, targeting the racist, capitalist system as the root of police crimes against Black people.
After the rally, the crowd marched down to Times Square. Along the way, the NYPD arrested multiple people. The crowd chanted “Black lives matter!” and other chants about Stephon Clark.
The main organizers of the protest were People’s Power Assemblies and NYC Shut It Down. Many others were present.