The fourth night of activism in Chattanooga following the death of George Floyd was a peaceful show of solidarity.
Scores of activists gathered at Miller Park on Tuesday evening to discuss prison, police and economic reform and to protest police brutality in the name of Floyd, an African American man who died under the knee of a white police officer in Minnesota on May 25.
"Whenever the ones who were elected to protect us and make decisions in our favor declare war upon us, times are grim," local artist and activist Cameron C-Grimey Williams told the crowd. "Our demands are simple: Stop the war on the black and the poor class."
Grimey led the crowd of roughly 200 in a freedom march around the west side of downtown, imploring officials to listen to citizens' demands for reform peacefully, rather than using "military force," as was the case Sunday night when protesters were in standoffs with not only local law enforcement, but also dozens of state troopers and National Guardsmen.
"We don't need to be met with military force, we need to be met with love," he said. "This is the end of the cycle. Temperatures have bubbled over. We are what makes this country run. The working class American people will stand next to their brothers and sisters."
During the assembly, roughly half a dozen police were present, a fraction of the law enforcement presence at the previous days' protests, until marchers took to the street and patrol cars fanned out to control vehicle traffic.
The rally and march around the west side of downtown lasted around four hours, ending without any mass encounters with police, contrary to the three nights prior, which each involved numerous arrests, vandalism and standoffs between law enforcement and protesters.
As the protests and riots continue across the nation in Floyd's name, organizers tell the Times Free Press that another protest is planned for Miller Park on Wednesday evening.
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Largely peaceful day of protests in Chattanooga ends on a sour note
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.