The Black Lives Matter movement held a peaceful march to the White House on Friday calling for action on a criminal justice “system that has to change!”
The protest that started at the Department of Justice and moved to the White House Friday came days after two black men — Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile of St. Paul, Minn. — were killed by police officers in separate shootings. It was one of the first protests since the shooting in Dallas on Thursday night at another Black Lives Matter protest that left five police officers dead and seven wounded.
Protesters at the White House Friday were visibly frustrated at the criminal justice system that they say is rigged against African Americans and other minorities.
“People need to understand why … we’re so angry,” said Nate Sanders in the middle of the throng of more than 100 protesters.
Sanders mentioned the recent case of Brock Turner, who was convicted of rape and received six months in prison. Turner’s case ignited outcries from many on social media who noted that instead of showing mug shots of Turner, who is white, there were yearbook photos of him smiling.
The case also caused anger as some activists believe a black man would have gotten more jail time for the same offense.
One activist read part of a list of names that had been killed by police since the beginning of the year, while others issued calls to speak to lawmakers for criminal justice reform.
Several protesters also held up CDs, a reference to Sterling being shot by police while selling CDs and DVDs outside of a shop in Baton Rouge.
“We have to keep organizing and making sure that there is a concrete way to get justice and that is for police officers to get indicted,” said Michael Sampson, one of the protest organizers. “The system has to change.”
The protest took place one day after the deadly shooting in Dallas during a Black Lives Matter demonstration. Police say that Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was the shooter and that Johnson didn’t identify with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Johnson was killed after an armed standoff with officers. He was an Army Reserve who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The Black Lives Matter movement condemned the shootings in a statement, calling it a “tragedy — both for those who have been impacted for yesterday’s attack and for our democracy” though there was no mention of it at Friday’s protest.
Sampson told the Washington Examiner afterwards that what happened in Dallas shouldn’t change what the movement is doing trying to find justice.
