Community and religious leaders protest police brutality, call for accountability

Community and religious leaders protest police brutality, call for accountability

Faith based leaders, community activists and demonstrators gathered outside the federal courthouse Monday to protest the death of George Floyd and denounce police brutality in the city and across the nation.

DEMONSTRATIONS TODAYORGANIZERS TOOK THEIR MESSAGETO THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSEDEMANDING MORE ACCOUNTABILITYFROM THE CITY'S POLICEDEPARTMENT.

AS WMAR 2 NEWS'DAVE DETLING REPORTS━ THEUNDERLYING THEME━ ENSYSTEMIC RACISM.ORGANIZERS CALLED ON THE CROWDNOT ONLY TO PROTEST POLICEBRUTALITY BUT TO MAKE ACOMMITMENT FOR A SAFERCOMMUNITY AND CITY.

WHAT THEYWANT IS LASTING STRUCTURALCHANGE.

IT WAS A PROTEST WITA PURPOSE... BALTIMORIANS FRDIFFERENT RACES AND RELIGIONSGATHERED OUTSIDE THE FEDERALCOURTHOUSE.

THEIR HOMEMADESIGNS DENOUNCED POLICEBRUTALITY.

THEY CALLED FOREQUALITY AND CHANGE AT THLOCAL LEVEL.

REV.

MARVINMCKENSTRY/ ORGANIZER we callon Everybody with purpose tobeyond these protests, thesedemonstrations, events, to getin the movement, seven days aweek, finding some sort of wayto bring and end to socialinjustice.

PART OF GETTIINVOLVEDCOMMITMENT TO THE CITIZENPOLICING PROJECT WHICHORGANIZED THE DEMONSTRATION.THE GROUP STANDS TO MAKE SURETHE CITY, POLICE DEPARTMENT,GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ELECTEDLEADERS UNDERSTAND THATCITIZENS, REGARDLESS OF RACEARE POLICED EQUITABLY ANDEFFECTIVELY.

SIGNING ON BOARDWAS JENEE HARRISON.

THIS WASHER FIRST PROTEST SINCE TDEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.

JENEEHARRISON/ PROTESTOR: I feellike cops need moretraining.//I think we need toreform the police system, likenot just here in Baltimore buteverywhere in America.

THESAME SENTIMENT WAS SHARED BACTIVIST TAWANDA JONES...TAWANDA JONES/ACTIVIST 2,503days I countdown every day foraccountability... HER BROTHERTYRONE WEST DIED WHILE IN THCUSTODY OF BALTIMORE CITYPOLICE IN 2013.

JONES TOLD THECROWD THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICEAND EQUALITY FOR THE BLACKCOMMUNITY IS UNENDING ANDREQUIRES EVERYONE GETTING ONBOARD.

TAWANDA JONES/ ACTIVISTWe have no time to negotiatewhen it comes to hate.rather eat crumbs with bombsthen sit at a table eatingsteaks with snakes.

I willnever sell my soul just to beto be a part of a table wherehate is.

ORGANIZERS TOLD THECROWD THEY NEED TO CONTINUEHOLD POLICE ACCOUNTABLE WITHTHE DESCENT DECREE.

RAYKELLY/CITIZENS POLICINGPROJECT: The court is seriousabout getting this done.

Weare damn sure tired and readyto get this done.

We have tomake sure our representationgets this thing done ANDORGANIZERS SAY THEIR MESSAGDOESN'T END WHEN THE PROTESTSSTOP.

THEY PLAN TO MAKE SUREELECTED LEADERS HEAR ANDLISTEN TO THEM━ ESPECIALLYOVER THESE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

INBALTIMORE CITY, DAVE DETLING,WMAR 2 NEWS.THOUSANDS ARE LINED