Protesters are looking to shut down both lanes of traffic on the Interstate 55 bridge in Memphis, Tennessee, in response to the release of footage showing Tyre Nichols aggressively beaten and arrested, ultimately leading to his hospitalization and death.
Those protesting were walking along one side of the lanes before leaping over to the other side, per NBC News’s Priscilla Thompson, who was on the scene. Cars and trucks could be seen backed up as protesters walked and waved their signs at the stopped vehicles.
VIDEO OF OFFICERS BEATING TYRE NICHOLS RELEASED
Thompson said most of the protesters that are on the bridge were there prior to the footage’s release, and many have not even seen the video yet.
“You hear them saying, ‘Shut it down.’ You hear them saying, ‘Disband Scorpion,'” Thompson said. “You see the anger here — you see the organization here.”
Several businesses and schools across Memphis had shut down early in preparation for any protests or actions. Police in several major cities, such as Washington, D.C., have activated all sworn personnel to be on call for demonstrations.
Protesters took over another roadway prior to the Memphis bridge, and they are making their way to the Memphis Police Department, Thompson said.
They said they attempted to contact Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (D) and will stay on the bridge until he returns their call, per the Commercial Appeal.
No acts of violence “whatsoever” or property damage has occurred, Thompson said, and protesters told NBC News that the protest would remain peaceful at the request of Nichols’s family. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis and President Joe Biden have joined the family in asking for peaceful demonstrations and stating the footage is not a “calling card” for violence.
Davis said police did not want to “overreact” to the situation, as they knew people would be out protesting.
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“I haven’t even seen any police officers out here attempting to stop protesters,” Thompson said.
Marshals are among the protesters wearing green armbands to stand between police and protesters should things escalate, Thompson said. The Justice Department also sent members of its community outreach team to provide resources and act as mediators if something were to happen.
