Protesters marched in Syracuse for a fourth consecutive day to protest police brutality and the alleged murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Protesters in Tuesday’s march chanted and carried signs calling for justice for the victims of police brutality. Syracuse Police Department vehicles escorted protesters during the march, at times blocking streets to clear their path, Syracuse.com reported.

“We are here to stand together,” said Clifford Ryan, a local activist with OG’s Against Gun Violence. “We will not be divided. We’re going to walk together.”

Tuesday’s protest began on South Salina Street at around 2 p.m. and continued through downtown Syracuse and surrounding neighborhoods before concluding at 9:30. Protesters expressed intentions to march for a total of 40 days and plan to march across the Syracuse University campus at one point, Citrus TV reported.

Protesters in Tuesday’s march also registered people to vote in New York state.

The protest was the fourth in a series of largely peaceful demonstrations to take place in Syracuse since Saturday in response to the deaths of Floyd and other victims of police brutality. Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter Friday for the killing of Floyd.

Protesters in Tuesday’s march chanted “I can’t breathe, we can’t breath,” referencing Floyd’s death.

The protests in Syracuse have remained largely peaceful, with the exception of a clash between some protesters and police Saturday night. Officers deployed tear gas against protesters Saturday after a window was broken at the Onondaga County Justice Center. Several buildings downtown were also looted Saturday night.

Both Mayor Ben Walsh and County Executive Ryan McMahon declared a state of emergency in response to Saturday’s protests. The county remains in a special state of emergency even after officials lifted the countywide curfew Monday after less than 24 hours.

Syracuse Police Benevolent Association Jeff Piedmonte released a statement Tuesday saying Floyd should not have died during his arrest by Minneapolis Police. At the same time, Piedmonte blamed Gov. Andrew Cuomo for “inciting unrest” by ordering an investigation into officers’ use of force during protests in New York City.

Published on June 3, 2020 at 1:43 am

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu