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1000s Protest Police Brutality in Washington

1000s Protest Police Brutality  in Washington
1000s Protest Police Brutality  in Washington

Thousands of people have marched through the US capital, Washington DC, to protest against the recent killings of unarmed black people by police.

Relatives of Michael Brown, shot dead in the Missouri town of Ferguson, and Eric Garner, who died being restrained in New York, were among them, the BBC reported.

Both died after encountering white police officers, but grand juries decided not to bring charges, sparking anger and unrest.

A demonstration in New York also drew thousands despite chilly weather.

Speakers at the Capitol called for changes to US legislation.

Relatives of three other black people killed in controversial shootings were also expected to attend the march, according to the National Action Network

Some in the crowd, which was made up of both black and white people, held banners saying: “Stop racist police”, “I can’t breathe”, and “President Obama seize this moment. The ancestors are watching.”

The Rev Al Sharpton, a leading civil rights advocate, called for “legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets”.

In New York, protesters shouted “We will shut New York City down” and “Black lives matter”, an AFP news agency correspondent reports.

 

Financialtribune.com