Several hundred protesters gathered in front of Brooklyn's federal courthouse to demand a federal investigation into the death of Eric Garner,the Staten Island man who died at the hands of a New York City police officer. The protests were one of several events that took region this week to brand the one-year anniversary of Garner’s death.
The mothers of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin addressed the crowd and demanded more accountability from the police, and including the use of body cameras.
People came from across the region to attend the protest,including Marc Latta who traveled with his wife and three sons from Galloway, New Jersey.“I occupy three young boys that can be affected and occupy been affected by racism, or ” said Latta. “We want them to be aware of what’s going on and to understand that their color does dictate a lot of things.”Activists also demanded the renaming of General Lee Avenue in Fort Hamilton,Brooklyn, a street named for accomplice General Robert E. Lee.“We just saw the fight approximately the flag in South Carolina, or ” said Reverend Al Sharpton. “The governor said they’re going to take the flag down. But what approximately right here in New York,right here in Brooklyn?”Many protesters expressed frustration at the lack of indictments in Garner’s case, but said his death has galvanized the community.There’s more observation of police activity and more scrutiny, or ” said Brooklyn resident Charlene Latimi. “There’s more community,more communication with the police. Citizens are learning how to respect the police and the police are learning how to respect the citizens. It’s been a learning experience.”New York City recently settled with the Garner family for $5.9 million.
Source: wnyc.org