Tyre Nichols death: Protesters gather in several U.S. cities
Release Of Tyre Nichols Police Beating Video Sparks Demonstrations WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: A demonstrator participates in a protest against the police killing of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. Memphis and cities across the country are bracing for potential unrest when the city releases video footage from the beating to the public later this evening. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
In the minutes after Memphis released four videos showing the arrest of Tyre Nichols, protesters took to the streets in cities across the United States to protest the violent actions seen in the video.
Update 9:58 p.m. Jan. 27:
Protesters in Memphis shut down Interstate 55, blocking traffic between Tennesee and Arkansas, WHBQ reported. The Memphis Police Department issued a traffic alert and warned drivers to stay away from the area.
In New York City, three people were arrested during a protest in Times Square. A protester was arrested after allegedly jumping on an NYPD vehicle and smashing the windshield, WABC reported.
Police told WNBC that another protester was arrested for punching a police officer, while no reason was disclosed for the third arrest.
Original report:
Activists and members of the community gathered in downtown Memphis after the video was released, and said they were calling for justice. Kirstin Garris, a reporter from our Washington, D.C. newsroom, was with activists who said “This is our city...we aren’t going anywhere.”
At least one protester told Garriss they had not seen the video. “I don’t have to watch a video to know what happened.”
Approximately 20 people had gathered within 30 minutes of the video’s release in Asheville, North Carolina, where protesters were heard saying, “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace.”
Witnesses described a scene with approximately 100 protesters in Boston who carried signs referencing local deaths at the hands of police.
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: A demonstrator participates in a protest against the police killing of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. Memphis and cities across the country are bracing for potential unrest when the city releases video footage from the beating to the public later this evening. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest Protesters rally against the the fatal police assault of a Black man, in Washington, DC on January 27, 2023. - The US city of Memphis released January 27, 2023 graphic video footage depicting the fatal police assault of a 29-year-old Black man, as cities nationwide braced for a night of protests against police brutality. VFive Memphis officers, also all Black, were charged with second-degree murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols, who died in hospital on January 10 three days after being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest Protesters block traffic as they rally against the fatal police assault of Tyre Nichols, in Memphis, Tennessee, January 27,2023. - The US city of Memphis released January 27, 2023 graphic video footage depicting the fatal police assault of a 29-year-old Black man, as cities nationwide braced for a night of protests against police brutality. VFive Memphis officers, also all Black, were charged with second-degree murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols, who died in hospital on January 10 three days after being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving. (Photo by seth herald / AFP) (Photo by SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images) (SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images)
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: Police standby as demonstrators participate in a protest against the police killing of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. Memphis and cities across the country are bracing for potential unrest when the city releases video footage from the beating to the public later this evening. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: Demonstrators participate in a protest against the police killing of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. Memphis and cities across the country are bracing for potential unrest when the city releases video footage from the beating to the public later this evening. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Protests in response to video of Tyre Nichols' arrest WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: Demonstrators participate in a protest against the police killing of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being severely beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. Memphis and cities across the country are bracing for potential unrest when the city releases video footage from the beating to the public later this evening. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)