Philly protestors: 'No justice, no peace... No racist police'
Posted: November 25, 2014 - 2:05am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Several hundred protesters marched through downtown Philadelphia on Monday night after a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, declined to indict a white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
The demonstrators yelled "No justice, no peace!" as they marched on Market Street, at times adding, "No racist police."
Police Chief Charles Ramsey said he expected the protesters to remain peaceful.
At a nearby church, members of Philadelphians Organizing to Witness Empower and Rebuild, a coalition of religious congregations from across the city, met and discussed issues in Ferguson and how they relate to Philadelphia. They had a projector screen and planned to watch the announcement before joining the demonstrators.
Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of the organization, urged those in attendance to participate in "nonviolent action tonight" and remove themselves if the demonstrations related to Michael Brown's shooting death got out of hand.
In Pittsburgh, about 50 activists convened ahead of the announcement and chanted "Justice for Michael Brown. Racist cops shut 'em down." The protest was short-lived, with activists saying they plan to regroup Tuesday at the federal courthouse.
The grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of the 18-year-old Brown, whose fatal shooting sparked weeks of sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson.