Protesters in several American cities once again took to the streets last weekend to condemn police brutality following the release of a video showing the beating of Tire Nichols, 29, who was killed by Memphis police on January 7.
Nichols can be heard screaming for his mother in the video, which begins with a traffic stop and continues to show police repeatedly beating the young Black man with batons, punching and kicking him while his hands are restrained behind his back.
He was left lying on the ground handcuffed, and 23 minutes passed before a stretcher arrived at the scene. Nichols was ultimately hospitalized and died three days later.
The protesters marched in New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Memphis, among other cities across the country on Saturday (28), holding signs with Nichols’ name and calling for an end to police abuses.
Since Nichols’ death, the authorities’ response has been relatively swift. The five Memphis police officers involved in the beating – who are also Black – were fired and charged with murder and kidnapping in Nichols’ death. The unit they were part of has been dissolved, and state lawmakers representing the Memphis area have begun planning police reform initiatives.
In Memphis, many participants in the protest said they were fed up with an unjust and aggressive police force with a long history of corruption.
“It upset me to see the video of Tyre, but this is normal (in Memphis) and I feel it’s time for change. We’ve been trying to change this for years,” said one protester.
“The corruption of the Memphis police and the death of Tire Nichols, we are completely tired. We need answers because after watching the video, I have more questions,” said another demonstrator.
Source: NBC News