More than 1,000 demonstrate against police brutality in march through Boston
The rally was organized by Mass Action Against Police Brutality.
Quittle Williams stood near a baby stroller as she surveyed the crowd who had gathered outside the Boston police headquarters Wednesday night. She was surrounded by more than a thousand others, but she was thinking of one person in particular — her toddler son, whom she bounced on her hip.
“Young people are dying in our streets and that’s why I needed to be here,” she said. “If we don’t do something, this is the world my son is going to live in.”
Williams was one of many who gathered for a Unity March put on by Mass Action Against Police Brutality. The demonstration was planned specifically for July 13, as it was the one-year anniversary of Sandra Bland’s death. Bland was found dead in her Texas jail cell a few days after she was arrested during a traffic stop.
“Sandra Bland was everything we should be,” Tahia Sykes, an organizer for Mass Action Against Police Brutality, said when addressing the crowd. “She had a college degree. She was focused. This is a woman who, ironically enough, spoke out against police brutality.”
In addition to remembering Bland, many of the attendees spoke of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, who were killed by police last week.
A demonstrator brought a poster of Sandra Bland to commemorate the one-year anniversary of her death.
“It’s not just nationally, it’s in Boston, too,” Sykes said in reference to the police shootings. She mentioned Randolph McClain, who died earlier this year after he was shot to death by officers in the Lynn Police Department. When police came to McClain’s apartment to serve outstanding warrants for his arrest, he allegedly attempted an armed carjacking and then pointed his gun at officers.
Sykes also mentioned Usaama Rahim, a 26-year-old Roslindale resident who was shot and killed by police after he allegedly lunged at them with a military-style knife. Rahim’s death is under investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and the FBI.
“It was unjust how they surrounded him and shot him like a dog,” Rahim’s sister Shahina said.
The demonstrators also heard from Carla Sheffield, whose son Burrell Ramsey-White was shot and killed by Boston police in 2012 after he allegedly refused to drop a gun.
“It takes a lot for me just to get out of bed,” Sheffield said. “The fact that children are still dying at the hands of police makes my heart hurt so bad.”
Sykes asked the crowd to record every interaction they have with police officers, and to then post the videos online. She also praised them for the large turnout.
“When you show up, [police officers] can’t behave the way they normally do,” she said. “We care about each other. We’re here to let them know.”
Demonstrators rallied against police violence Wednesday.
The diverse crowd, made up of white, black, Asian, and Latino people, then took to the streets, chanting loudly as they held signs that read, “How Many More?” “Stop Police Brutality Now,” and “Stop Killing Us.” Dozens of police officers lined the path, both on foot and on bike, and appeared to spend most of their time standing back to watch the demonstration.
As they approached Dudley Station after marching down Mass. Ave., the demonstrators yelled, “Indict! Convict! Send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” They then gathered in the station, where their chants echoed under the roof.
“What do we want?” “Justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” they repeated.
The peaceful protest ended around 10:30 p.m., about four hours after it began. The demonstrators joined one another in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” just before fireworks went off in the distance.
Demonstrators blocked traffic near police headquarters Wednesday.
“It was really moving,” said Ivy Beach, who came from Somerville to attend the march. “The diversity is amazing. Black lives are being attacked and people always say, ‘Well, you’ve got to show up and come to the table to fix things.'”
She paused and looked out at the crowd.
“Where does this imaginary table exist? It’s here.”
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