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Protestors of varied ages and color marched together down the sidewalks of Market and Broad Street on Saturday, behind a black sign that read: Indict the system.
The protestors blocked two intersections for four-and-a-half minutes each, singing the words, “I can hear my neighbor crying ‘I can’t breathe’we ain’t gonna stop until our people are free.”
The #ICantBreathe march, organized by the local social justice group Concerned Citizens for Justice, was a part of what national organizations are calling a “day of resistance,” with similar protests taking place across the country.
The chanting of, “Black lives matter,” by protestors in Chattanooga on Saturdayadds to the national echo, as cities across the United States have experienced protests and uprisings in response to the recent deaths of several black boys and men at the hands of white police officers.
CCJ calls these killings and the failure to indict two of the white officers by grand juries institutional racism.
“Chattanooga is a microcosm of what’s happening everywhere,” said Dominique Pennington, who is from Chattanooga and participated in the march.
The racism seen across the country also exists here in this city, he said.
Alisea Mazelin, media correspondent for CCJ, said the march was intended to raise awareness.
“We are marching for injustice,” she said. “This is a part of the national conversation.”
The march began at noon in Miller Park and the group of about 50 people were told by Ash-Lee Henderson, an organizer with CCJ, to stay on the sidewalk and follow the designated traffic marshals, who were protestors wearing orange bandanas.
The traffic marshals made sure the group stayed on the sidewalk and safely crossed the street, and also organized the shutting down of the intersection at Aquarium Way and Broad Street, and then again at MLK Boulevard and Market Street.
The protestors stood on the crosswalks on all four sides of the intersections chanting in unison and holding signs. The lights changed colors, but the cars remained still behind a line of protestors some honking their horns in support, and others showing noticeable frustration.
Throughout the march, Chattanooga Police Officers were nearby in cars and on bikes, but everything remained peaceful, and the protestors and officers had minimal interactions.
Allie Stafford, a Chattanooga local, heard about the march from Facebook, and decided to attend.
“The biggest problem is that police can use so much force, even when unwarranted,” she said. “Sadly, minorities bare the brunt of this.”
Later Saturday, the group held a “die-in,” similar to those in other cities, at Hamilton Place mall on the busiest shopping day before Christmas. Photos posted on CCJ’s Facebook page showed several people lying on the floor and others seated nearby as shoppers moved around them.
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