(AllHipHop News) On Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, several Black Lives Matter protesters were either arrested or taken into custody as they attempted to speak out against a grand jury’s refusal to charge Tallahassee, Florida police officers in three fatal shootings.
Roughly 100 BLM activists marched on the state capital and were met with hundreds of police officers, which included Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Capitol Police and Florida State University Police Department.
All of these agencies were for a relatively few protesters.
“They stole my friends and arrested our major organizers,” one person named Skid Papi said on Twitter.
Skid Papi also posted a number of videos about what allegedly happened.
Here’s a video of #TrumpViolence in Tallahassee as a psycho enters our protest and hits my GIRLFRIEND – he gets the hands put to him and pulls a gun like he didn’t expect it. Arm yourselves. Tallahassee too strong for that. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/D7I6Am8ViT
— Skid | #BLM | #FreePalestine (@skidpapi) August 30, 2020
Look familiar? This is the same man speaking to the police right before the attack. pic.twitter.com/EonzwFNTVO
— Skid | #BLM | #FreePalestine (@skidpapi) August 30, 2020
Organizers of the march issued a statement as well as a fundraiser to help to bail out their leaders. The charged that the conditions in jail were deplorable and “COVID ridden.”
“On Friday, September 4th an unjust grand jury refused to indict the killer cops responsible for black trans man Tony McDade as well as Wilbon Woodard, and Mychael Johnson’s murder by Tallahassee Police Department officers.
Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) , the Dream Defenders and other Black Lives Matter organizers went to the streets to protest in Florida’s Capital City when the police, who outnumbered protestors 3-to-1 , detained, brutalized and arrested 11 protestors (hospitalizing 3 of them), including TCAC leaders President Regina Joseph, Treasurer Satya Stark -Bejnar, and co-founder Trish Brown.” (Click here for the gofundme.)
On-the-ground reports stated clearly that the protesters were peaceful.
The police, many of which were in riot gear, approached Trish Brown, who was slowly a protest caravan. Cops approached her car and attempted to physically remove her. Her comrades tried to plead with the officer, but they continued to assault her.
“Officers violently descend on peaceful #blm march—see video—of folks—sitting on the sidewalk getting assaulted, pulled by their hair, and having limbs twisted by a sea of cops. Started when police targeted car that slowed down near the march,” one witness said.
Observers said that the officers caused the conflict to intensify. A total of 15 people were arrested.
The cops justified their actions in a statement.
“As the individual was being placed under arrest, several members of the crowd attempted to interfere. They were given commands by law enforcement and did not comply,” the release said. “Due to their actions and, again, unwillingness to comply with officers’ commands, they were also arrested.”
A recent report stated that 93% of all BLM protests are peaceful.
