Saturday’s protest was one of the largest and calmest we’ve seen in downtown Tampa following a week of unrest.
Protesters tell us despite marching for several days in the streets, they still have to do more.
“We are starting to see you know a slight change starting to get justice for George Floyd,” Maurice Nock said. “I want to see black and brown people be treated as human beings, at the end of the day. Not just like we are scum. I don’t want our problems to be pushed under the rug.”
The protest Saturday night started and ended with a prayer. Hundreds were kneeling in solidarity, praying for peace and justice.
“A lot of frustration. A lot of pain,” Brian Mikell said. “I mean, honestly, my heart breaks for society as a whole. You see a whole group of people besides a few outliers here, or there are pleading for justice basic human rights, and it pains me to see that from the community as a whole.”
Even as the rain came down and thunder and lightning roared, the group walked all around Downtown Tampa chanting, “black lives matter,” and other chants from Kennedy to Bayshore.
“It’s definitely going to take time the bus boycotts happened for 381 days, so if that’s what’s necessary, we’ll be out here,” Nock said.
The peaceful protest ended with a prayer. The organizer is planning a similar protest next Friday at 6 p.m. at MacFarlane Park.
