Protests continue in Sacramento over police shooting of Stephon Clark
SACRAMENTO — The police killing of an unarmed African American man in Sacramento has ignited protests around the state capital and energized members of the Black Lives Matter movement, who are demanding accountability from law enforcement.
Protesters planned to continue their demonstrations after police released body-camera footage earlier this week of Sunday’s shooting of Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old father of two, who was holding a cell phone in his grandmother’s backyard when he was killed.
National attention continued to build Friday, as more than 100 protesters again shut down traffic in downtown Sacramento. Around noon, they began walking from the city’s iconic yellow Tower Bridge to the state Capitol a mile and a half away.
“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” the group chanted in a call-and-response.
Two hours later, the crowd neared downtown freeways. California Highway Patrol officers closed many of the ramps and stood guard, preventing anyone from getting onto the freeway.
“This is who we need to be mad at,” said Nicole Miller, of Oakland, as she held a sign that read “Stop Killing Us” and pointed at the state Capitol. “The system is broken and we want justice now!”
Rev. Brian Levingston, a Sacramento resident, was also among the group protesting Clark’s killing.
“We shouldn’t have to be here, not in Sacramento, not in 2018,” he said. “We’re peaceful. We will remain peaceful. I know there are a lot of great leaders in this city, and I wish they were with me now.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/protests-continue-in-sacramento-over-police-shooting-of-stephon-clark/ar-BBKCvGp?li=BBnbcA1