When I arrived, I saw the smoke from a flaming car in the distance and ran towards it to find out what I could see with my own eyes. I checked different Facebook live videos and headed back in to see it for myself. While eating a late dinner on Saturday, I heard that rioting had started. It Was Nonviolent, but Then It Became Violent He was immediately pulled away when an older woman was telling him, “Not this way, this is how you get your brothers killed, not this way.” Witnessing this protection of what we intended to be a nonviolent movement was exceptional and worthy of praise. One young boy who looked to be around the age of 17 started banging on the hood of a cop car at a blockade on West Broad Street. Others corrected the younger black protestors who wanted to follow the actions of the anarchist groups. This sort of behavior was not tolerated by the mass of people. I even saw one approach and climb on top of a squad car he was immediately pulled down and protestors reprimanded him. These imposters are like wolves in sheep’s clothing that marched with us and shouted. I’m a black man in a nation where the justice system and some of its citizens don’t value my life and won’t respect my right to live.Īlongside the passion and anger and I also felt an unease as I saw some anarchist flags. I saw people looking for their opportunity to seize the moment.

I'm light skinned, have short black hair and most importantly - I’m African American.

While shouting, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” I was reminded of every opportunity I may never get to have if I 'fit the description.” I’m 22, 6 feet tall and 215 lbs. I had a chance to see people who didn’t look like me back me up and even step in front of me when we approached a blockade.īeing inside of the protest I felt the spirit of the people around me. Many of the protestors, black and white, raised their fist in harmony with the black community. Don’t Shoot!” Along the way you’d hear cars blasting NWA’s “F*** tha Police,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” and honking in solidarity. No Peace,” “I can’t breathe” and every time we encountered a blockade, we’d hold our hands up and yell, “Hands up. While we marched, we shouted “No Justice. It was nonviolent and we continued to march from Exchange Boulevard to Washington Square park.Īlong the way you could see the officers (some in riot gear) guarding off certain streets, but we would not be stopped. We marched from MLK Park to the Public Safety Building on Exchange Boulevard where more speeches, chants and people joined the rally. There were signs addressing the systemic issues that collectively plagued African Americans the people were galvanized by speeches from local organizers and across the lines of race, ethnicity and even age - all of Rochester came out in mass to voice our concerns. Saturday afternoon, May 30 in Rochester, started like any other protest in a number of cities across the nation. Another unarmed black person dead - another black body lay dead at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and serve. Video showed Floyd begging the officer to “let him stand” and “I can’t breathe.”įloyd later died in police custody and over the coming days we saw an uprising across the nation of peaceful protests, rioting and looting. It was all too similar to that of Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile and too many others to name. George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minn. when police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for around nine minutes. Simply put - we are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Over the weekend of May 30, 2020, the nation rose up. Millions organized and marched to voice our collective frustration with the broken justice system and another killing of an African American at the hands of police officers.

(Photo by Miles Hood) IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, LISTEN UP!

Protesters gather in front of the City of Rochester Public Safety Building on the afternoon of May 30th in a demonstration of outrage over the death of George Floyd.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired