Protests over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer continued for a second day in Chattanooga, hours after parts of an overnight demonstration turned violent.
Outside the Hamilton County jail and courthouse on Sunday, local activist Marie Mott led a protest of around 250 people who gathered on the street and courthouse lawn holding signs such as “Solidarity not sympathy,” “Skin color is not reasonable suspicion” and “The thugs are wearing badges.”
After leading chants of “I can’t breathe” – some of Floyd’s final words, as well those of Eric Garner who was killed by police in New York in 2014 – Mott detailed how the history of racism and oppression has for centuries kept black Americans from breathing.
“It seems to me that our first breath needs to be a cry out for justice,” Mott said. “Our first breath needs to be a cry out for equity. Our first breath needs to be a cry out for inclusion. Our first breath needs to be a cry out for divesting from the police, and investing in education.”
On Sunday evening, several hundred people assembled in Coolidge Park to protest Floyd’s death. There was a large police presence and some demonstrators mentioned instances of alleged police violence in Chattanooga.