Thousands took to the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn on Wednesday night to demonstrate racial injustice and police brutality hours after a Louisville, KY grand jury declined to indict two of the three officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor.
The protest began at the corner of 59th Street and 5th Avenue at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 23. Earlier in the day, a Kentucky grand jury announced the indictment of one of three Louisville police officers in Taylor’s killing on charges of wanton endangerment. The grand jury declined to charge the officers with murder, as many justice advocates had sought for weeks.
Taylor was shot to death on March 13, 2020 as the officers executed a search warrant inside her home. There was no video evidence of the shooting, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
The protesters in Midtown on Wednesday night charged that the officers involved in Taylor’s death were getting away with murder.
The #BlackWomensMarch is taking place now on 59th Street and 5th Avenue for #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #WarriorsintheGarden #BLMBayside pic.twitter.com/c7RueGwzhU
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) September 23, 2020
“Justice ignored Breonna Taylor,” said Carol Ann, founder of Black Women’s March. “It’s unacceptable. A woman died, killed by the police, and nothing happened. Enough!”
“Justice ignored #BreonnaTaylor !” Protesters are enraged by the injustice of today’s verdict #BreonnaTaylorMatters #BlackLivesMatter #BlackWomenMatter pic.twitter.com/ZJOAISg7bR
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) September 23, 2020
The big crowd then moved on from the corner of 59th Street and 5th Avenue and began their march, chanting, “We want justice for Breonna Taylor!”
Thousands of #protesters take to the streets in Manhattan chanting, “We want #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor!” #BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace #JusticeForBreonna #BLM #BlackWomenMatter pic.twitter.com/wtj88wVusx
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) September 24, 2020
#Protesters raise their hands and shout, “Hands up, don’t shoot” as they march for #Breonna. #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #Blm #BreonnaTaylorWasMurdered #NoJusticeNoPeace #BlackLivesMatter #BlackWomenMatter pic.twitter.com/cZDEkwUOsO
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) September 24, 2020
Female protesters are taking a stand and chanting #BlackWomenMatter for all to hear! #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #BreonnaTaylorWasMurdered #BLM #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/LGrHxxSWMa
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) September 24, 2020
The march was preceded with similar protests near Union Square and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn earlier on Wednesday.
With reporting by Dean Moses.