Currents News Staff
It was outrage and a demand for justice in Atlanta, Georgia after the death of another black man at the hands of police.
Protesters marched to push criminal justice reform after the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot on June 13 by police after a sobriety test.
On the morning of June 15 a march and a rally at the Georgia state capitol were held in support of Brooks, who was shot twice after police found him asleep in his car at a Wendy’s on Friday night.
After a sobriety test, an officer tried to arrest Brooks, saying, “put your hands behind your back.”
Brooks resisted, and there was a scuffle.
Witness video shows Brooks taking a taser from police during the struggle, and surveillance video shows him pointing it toward an officer as he ran away.
The district attorney said his office is still investigating the incident, but those taking the streets are demanding action.
“They should have done something different in that situation because they had several different options,” said Justin Miller, the attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks.
This incident follows weeks of world-wide protests against police violence, ignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Memorial Day.
Floyd’s brother Philonise says the Brooks shooting is another example of what needs to change.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “You constantly see people dying every day, black people dying.”
The officer who shot Brooks has been terminated, and Atlanta’s police chief stepped down over the weekend.
But those who showed up at the capitol say that’s not enough.
“We need to hold them accountable, and we can’t stop fighting,” said protestor Hannah Gebresilassie. “We’re hurt and we’re broken, but we can’t stop fighting.”