WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Thousands took to the streets of Washington, DC on Friday to root for racial justice and draw a direct ancestry line from the Black Lives Matter movement to epic struggles in the past against slavery and segregation in America.
The rally, timed to the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, is held in front of the memorial to Abraham Lincoln – the US president who abolished slavery – at an exact place where Martin Luther King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
The event comes three months since the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis sparked a nationwide campaign against police brutality and systemic racism.
Though the initial permit estimated a turnout of 100,000 people, there were visibly fewer participants though still in tens of thousands. Organizers urged protesters from the localities with high novel coronavirus rates to hold “satellite rallies” instead of traveling to Washington, DC, which mandates a 14-day quarantine for such visitors.
Participants of a rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington flock to the square in front of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
The march is led by the relatives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and other African Americans killed by law enforcement, who also addressed the audience.
Reverend Al Sharpton addressed the audience by saying African Americans are tired of the mistreatment and the violence they have been subjected to for hundreds of years.
The Black Lives Matter movement has become a major issue in the 2020 US Presidential campaign with the Democratic opposition seen as more sympathetic to protesters’ demands while their Republican rivals, including Trump, prefer to focus on the need to counter an upsurge of violence which often tarnishes the movement.
A participant of the rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington is seen holding a Black Lives Matter flag in front of the Washington Monument.
Kamala Harris, Democratic vice-presidential nominee, spoke to the participants of the rally in a recorded video.
Speakers at the rally advocated electoral activism, urging everyone to vote “like we never voted before,” including mailing-in ballots and assisting neighbors in coming to polling stations on election day.
A participant who identified as Murry told Sputnik that he brought his entire family from Chicago to witness history and be part of it.
Kendrick, a young African-American from Washington, DC, said he came to the rally in a t-shirt featuring a portrait of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands Jews in Nazi-allied Hungary during World War II. Kendrick said he believes that Wallenberg’s story, though unfamiliar to most protesters, fits into the Black Lives Matter code of ethics and may serve as a role model.
A photo of Kendrick, a young African-American from Washington, DC, who came to the rally in a t-shirt featuring a portrait of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands Jews in Nazi-allied Hungary during World War II
Several hours after the speeches at the Lincoln memorial, the participants moved to the nearby Martin Luther King memorial. A relatively small group separated to demonstrate next to the US Department of Justice.
Organisers say that the march is planned as a peaceful one and to this end, they cooperate with the authorities and employ marshals trained in “de-escalation tactics”.
Police in plain uniforms are patrolling the adjacent streets and have closed them for traffic. No violent incidents occurred so far.
Washington, DC Police Chief Peter Newsham described the event as “very peaceful” and the mood as “very positive,” media reported. Emergency services say they are dealing with mainly heat-related issues, but in alarmingly high numbers. As of 4:00 p.m. para-medics treated 106 patients and eight of them were taken to local hospitals.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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