Protesters gather in Lexington for 10th night to call for police accountability
For the tenth night in a row, protesters gathered in Lexington Sunday to call for police accountability and to stand in solidarity with cities that have had recent cases of unarmed black people being killed by police.
As they have for more than a week, protesters walked through the streets of Lexington and chanted the names of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Taylor was a 26-year-old former EMT who was killed by Louisville Metro Police in March, and Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
Protests have been happening nationwide in the aftermath of Floyd’s death on May 25.
In Lexington, protesters gathered in front of Fayette County Circuit Court and spoke, sang and chanted calls for action before marching through the city.
The group visited Cheapside pavilion, chanting “peace to my ancestors who were sold here,” before having a moment of silence for the people who were sold at the location when it was used for slave auctions.
The group also stopped at the transit center, where portraits of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have been placed.
At one point, protesters gathered at the back of the Lexington Police Department’s headquarters, where several officers were stationed. The protesters chanted at the officers and asked them to say “black lives matter.” Some of the officers joined in the chant with the protesters, and Chief Lawrence Weathers at one point shouted it to the crowd.
The protesters then passed around a megaphone and told the officers about situations they’d been in where they’d been mistreated by police.
Protest organizers have said they will continue to protest until their demands for accountability in the Lexington Police Department are met.
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 12:21 AM.
