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Protests and Protesting

Protests seen in Chicago, NYC; more expected nationwide after release of Tyre Nichols video in Memphis

MEMPHIS — Protests were held in Memphis and cities across the country Friday and more demonstrations are planned for the weekend as the nation reacted to brutal footage of the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police.

Demonstrators were already taking to the streets in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon and local news outlets across the country reported on protests planned for Saturday in New York City, Memphis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Newark, Dallas and Raleigh, among other major cities.

Protests remained mostly peaceful Friday night as people rallied after officials in Memphis released disturbing video of the fatal police beating of Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died three days after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Amid freezing temperatures Friday, more than 100 protesters shut down an interstate bridge connecting Tennessee and Arkansas in Memphis. Some chanted "killer cops have got to go."

Protesters locked arms and chanted "we ready, we ready, we ready for y'all," as they marched from the bridge and toward downtown. Onlookers cheered from their balconies.

“When is accountability really going to be set forth?" said activist LJ Abraham.

The video of the killing, which involved five Black officers who were charged in Nichols' death, shows Nichols being tased, belted with a baton, repeatedly kicked in the face and brutalized despite seeming to put up no resistance.

Memphis police chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis told CNN Friday that the video shows "acts that defy humanity."

LIVE COVERAGE:Memphis to release footage of traffic stop that led to death of Tyre Nichols

Tyre Nichols, who had a passion for photography and was described by friends as joyful and lovable, was just minutes from his home in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 7, 2023, when he was pulled over by police and fatally beaten.

Chicagoans protest in freezing temperatures Friday

A dozen people gathered across from a police precinct in Chicago in freezing temperatures Friday evening to protest the killing of Tyre Nichols, as well as call attention to the killing of Anthony Alvarez, who was fatally shot by Chicago police in 2021.

“From Memphis to Chicago, these killer cops have got to go,” the group chanted. Some held signs saying “Justice for Tyre Nichols” and “End police terror.”

Ana Santoyo, 33, a Chicago native running for alderperson, said the killing is another reminder that police brutality is pervasive in the U.S. “It’s not just bad apples. It’s the whole bunch,” she said.

Protesters hold signs as they rally against the fatal police assault of Tyre Nichols, in Chicago, Ill. on January 27,2023.

Santoyo said no mother should have to go through what Nichols’ mother is going through. Santoyo, who is Mexican American, said she worries about how police will see her own infant son as he grows up.

“Time and time again we know, cops don’t keep us safe — whenever we hear another name, whenever we have to say another name,” she said.

Kamran Sidiqi, 27, who helped organize the demonstration, said he hopes protests in Chicago and nationwide send a message that Memphis is not alone in its calls for justice for Nichols. For Sidiqi, justice begins with seeing the officers involved convicted.

"It's tough to imagine what justice is here because Tyre is never coming back," he said. "That's someone's son, someone's friend lost forever. That's a human being's life that is gone. But a modicum of justice would be putting these killer cops in jail. A modicum of justice would be building a whole new system so that this can't happen again."

Demonstrators block traffic on Riverside Drive near the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge as they protest the killing of Tyre Nichols on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn.

Dozens march in NYC's Times Square

Protesters began marching through a congested Times Square shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday.

New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé, the 24-year-old Brooklynite elected after he organized during Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, stood alongside the marchers, who formed a small crowd at the glimmering tourist hub.

“Nothing has really changed since 2020,” Ossé said. “And if anything, we've seen police budgets grow across the country, right?”

The protests continued southbound on Seventh Avenue just before 8 p.m., with onlookers at Times Square watching. Traffic stood still as marchers passed.

"Justice for," a speaker shouted through a megaphone. "Tyre Nichols," marchers chanted back. 

A protester was arrested after jumping on a police car and breaking its windshield, ABC7 reported.

Several hundred protestors march through midtown Manhattan Jan. 27, 2023 after the release of video showing Memphis, TN police beating Tyre Nichols on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop.  Nichols died three days later.

'Acts that defy humanity'

Memphis police chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis told CNN Friday that the video shows "acts that defy humanity."

"You're going to see a disregard for life, duty of care that we're all sworn to, and a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement," the chief said.

That description brings to mind the video of police officers beating Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991. The acquittal of the officers involved in that incident set off many protests.

The incident also comes more than two years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police – also caught on video – spurred local protests and a global racial justice movement.

RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, leaves at the conclusion of a candlelight vigil for Tyre, in Memphis, Tenn., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Peaceful protest urged

The family has asked supporters to protest in peace. During a Friday press conference, Rodney Wells, Nichols' stepfather, said, "More than anything we want peace. We do not want any type of uproar. We do not want any type of disturbance.

On Friday afternoon, mayors from major cities spoke with White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and Senior Advisor to the President Julie Rodriguez on a call to be briefed on federal preparations for the expected protests.

"White House officials asked the mayors to remain in regular contact over the coming days and reiterated that the President will continue to be clear in his message to the American people that peaceful protests are appropriate, but violence is never acceptable."

Police forces — some in riot gear — were seen in streets across the nation preparing for demonstrations Friday. In Los Angeles, tensions flared between protesters and police, and smoke filled the air as people shook and banged on a police car with an officer inside, the Los Angeles Times reported. Someone also vandalized police headquarters sign that reads "Los Angeles Police Department" by writing the word "kills" underneath.

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