Protesters in Syracuse marched peacefully for nearly three hours on Sunday from Roesler Park and through the Strathmore neighborhood as part of the ninth consecutive day of protests against police brutality.

Last Chance for Change, the organizers of the Syracuse protest, are part of a nationwide trend of Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the alleged murder of George Floyd, a Black man, who died after a white police officer from the Minneapolis Police Department knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. The three other officers present during Floyd’s death face charges of aiding and abetting murder.

Organizers in Syracuse have said they will march in the city for 40 days. Sunday’s protest comes one day after the largest protest turnout in Syracuse, where about 2,000 people rallied in front of City Hall in support of Black Lives Matter.

Here’s a timeline of Sunday’s protest:

4:34 p.m. The protesters loop back to Roesler Park about 2.5 hours after they started. 

4:26 p.m. Protesters are now on W. Adams Street. The group is walking with a little over two dozen cars joining in behind, many hanging signs from their cars and chanting along. The cars honk as they trail the marchers and pass police officers on the side of the road. 

3:57 p.m. The group of protesters are now gathered in the parking lot of Brown Memorial United Methodist Church.

3:31 p.m. Organizers are at the corner of S. Geddes Street and Delaware Street. After chanting, they are now taking a moment to rest again. They just marched along Stolp Avenue.

2:53 p.m. Protesters are taking a quick rest at the corner of Summit and Stolp avenues for a moment of silence before they turn onto Stolp Avenue. “We want to make sure people in their houses hear what we have to say,” an organizer said. Several people gave out water as protesters sat on the corner.

2:41 p.m. Protesters are chanting “last chance for change” and “hands up, don’t shoot” as they march down Onondaga Avenue.

2:10 p.m. About 200 protesters leave Roesler Park and march along Onondaga Avenue.

1:45 p.m. Protesters arrive at Roesler Park before the march starts. Over 100 people gather before an organizer announces through a megaphone that they’ll head toward the Strathmore neighborhood.

Published on June 7, 2020 at 3:59 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu