NEW YORK (AP) — The mother and
widow of an unarmed black man whose police chokehold death sparked
protests across the country said Saturday they've been moved by the
thousands of peaceful demonstrators who have taken to the streets after a
grand jury declined to indict the white officer involved.
"It is just so
awesome to see how the crowds are out there," said Eric Garner's
mother, Gwen Carr, who added that she ended up stuck in her car after
protests shut down traffic.
"I was just so proud of that crowd," Carr said. "It just warmed my heart."
Garner's
widow, Esaw Garner, said she saw demonstrators from her apartment
window and told her son, "Look at all the love that your father's
getting."
Demonstrators around the country have staged die-ins and
other protests since the Garner grand jury's decision Wednesday, which
closely followed a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict a white
officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black
18-year-old.
Officers have
said the outcry over the grand jury decision has left them feeling
betrayed and demonized by everyone from the president and the mayor to
throngs of protesters who scream at them on the street.
"Police officers feel like they are being thrown under the bus," said Patrick Lynch, president of the police union.
Garner's
family members joined the Rev. Al Sharpton later Saturday as Sharpton
laid a wreath at the site on Staten Island where Garner died July 17 in a
confrontation that started when police tried to arrest him for selling
loose, untaxed cigarettes.
An amateur video seen by millions showed Garner gasping, "I can't breathe" during the fatal encounter.
"All
we're concerned about is justice from the police," said Garner's
stepfather, Benjamin Carr, who wore a T-shirt with the words, "Enough is
enough."
Protests continued
in New York City for a fourth day with several dozen people lying down
on the floor of Grand Central Terminal. There were no reports of
arrests.
On Friday night, 20
protesters were arrested on disorderly conduct charges in New York,
police said. Hundreds of demonstrators marched and many briefly laid
down in Macy's flagship store, Grand Central and an Apple store. They
streamed along Fifth Avenue sidewalks and other parts of Manhattan, with
signs and chants of "Black lives matter" and "I can't breathe."
In
Oakland, California, hundreds of protesters briefly blocked Interstate
880, a major freeway, on Friday night. There were no immediate reports
of any arrests or injuries.
Protests have also been held in Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and a number of other cities.
Sharpton
announced plans this week for a march in Washington, D.C., next
Saturday to protest the killings of Garner, Brown and others and to
press for change at the federal level.
No comments:
Post a Comment