Protesters take over Providence to honor George Floyd
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – More than a thousand protesters took over downtown Providence on Saturday, along with Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the country.
Some say George Floyd, who died after video captured him being restrained by a Minnesota police officer, is a painful reminder of the fears they have for their own children.
“It’s just scary because we never know what’s going to happen,” said Rondelle Walker of Providence. “I’m constantly on the phone, constantly worrying about them. So at this point, we’ve got to stand up.”
And some say they’re standing up for their friends.
“Silence is violence,” said Francesca Brussel of Providence. “If you just stand by and don’t say anything, your silence speaks volumes.”
Speakers shared passionate messages of revolution, but also of peace and unity.
The effort here tried to set a different from other protests across the country.
“We need leaders to step up and say, ‘Stop violence. Let’s protest the right way,'” said Robert Lewis of Providence.
The rally began at Burnside Park before protesters marched through the streets of Providence, chanting phrases like ‘black lives matter,’ ultimately assembling on the State House grounds.
There, protesters hoped to send a message for change in law enforcement and government.
“The injustice, and how they stereotype us,” said Darren Forbes of Providence. “Hopefully that stops.”
“This must stop,” said Angela Nash Wade of Providence. “It’s unacceptable. Stop lynching us. Stop letting it be sanctioned by the courts, by the police, by the political system. People have to be held accountable.”
