Another huge protest swept through the streets of New Orleans today, despite the rain and foreboding overcast skies as Tropical Storm Cristobal barreled toward the Gulf Coast. The rally started at City Park at noon. Youthful protesters led the way as thousands marched down Esplanade to the French Quarter.
Organizers of the protests urged young people to get involved -- and they enthusiastically answered the call. Saturday’s crowd consisted almost entirely of youth, nearly all of them wearing masks. At several points, student organizers with the “Rays of Love March” invited participants to come up and speak. Attendees performed poetry, songs and gave speeches that called attention to police brutality, racism and oppression.
“It’s time to put some strong, black-minded people in office!” said Torre Davis, as the march kicked off. “We are people, not property! We are out here demanding respect for our lives!”
Speakers called for police reform and better educational policies and curriculums that portray the oppression of black and brown Americans accurately. They spoke about the importance of historically black colleges and universities and the necessity of creating safe black educational spaces.
“Imagine if they really gave us the resources that we need to flourish -- imagine what we could accomplish,” said Southern University student Melanie Medina. “Our kids, who are out here, shouldn't have to be out here!”
Medina explained that her grandmother was involved with the civil rights movement and said she feels like history is repeating itself. “Guess what? We might not be getting lynched with rope but we’re getting lynched with bullets!”
The route for Saturday’s march was carefully mapped out by organizers who highlighted the historical significance of several stops along the way.
Beginning at City Park, protesters stopped at the the former site of the General Beauregard Equestrian Statue, which honored the confederate general and was removed in 2017 after much organizing by the activist group Take ‘Em Down NOLA; the former site of Straight University, a historically black college that operated between 1868 and 1934 and educated many civil rights leaders; Louis Armstrong Park; the New Orleans Police Department’s First District; and finally, at the collapsed Hard Rock Hotel, where speakers talked about the police killing of Modesto Reyes, a construction worker who survived the collapse.
“If he was able to survive that, and god had a plan to keep his life going after that...but he couldn’t make it out of a chase with Jefferson Parish police department,” said Medina.
They echoed demands laid out by Take ‘Em Down NOLA at rallies held all week long: defunding the police; making law enforcement accountable to the people; and investing in programs that support the working class.
“The whole system is a problem and the answer to this problem is collective solidarity!” exclaimed Take ‘Em Down NOLA organizer Angela Kinlaw. “The answer to the problem is what’s happening right here today!”
Organizers said they had no plans for events Sunday as the city prepares for heavy rain and strong winds from the tropical storm.
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