Thousands march in Oakland demanding justice for Tyre Nichols killed by US police

Thousands of people have marched through the streets of Oakland, California, to protest police brutality and systemic racism against minorities and to demand justice for young Black man Tyre Nichols killed by Memphis police.

The protest rally was organized by the Anti-Police-Terror Project after body-camera videos released on Friday showed five Memphis police officers punching, kicking, and pepper spraying Nichols following a traffic incident. 

Speakers at the rally included family members of residents who were killed by police. They strongly condemned the violence against people of color.

Nichols, a Black man, died several days after he was repeatedly beaten by police following a 7 January traffic stop. His family has said that he was returning home after photographing the sunset when he was beaten to death.

The Memphis Police Department on Friday night released four graphic videos chronicling the incident, highlighting police excesses against Black people.

"What happened to Tyre Nichols is not an exception, it's the rule. And it happens every single day in this country. This is what American policing looks like," said Cat Brooks, executive director of the Anti-Police Terror Project, which organized the event in Oakland.

People from around the San Francisco Bay Area joined in the protest to express their outrage at the US police killing of Blacks and other minorities.

"Obviously we are here to collectively grieve Tyre Nichols' brutal murder. And to stand in solidarity with the Memphis community," Brianna Vieira, who lives in San Jose, was quoted as saying.

Charles Jung, a San Francisco resident, said he took part in the protest because he wanted sufficient protections to be put in place "to ensure equal justice for all Americans" of different colors and ethnicities.

Bobby X, who spoke at the rally, said he wanted the protests to spread across the country. Bobby X is the uncle of Oscar Grant, the young man who was killed by BART police in 2009 while lying face down on a platform.

The 22-year-old Black man was fatally shot on January 1, 2009, while lying face down on a platform at the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland, California.

"Tyre has brought us here. Let us not just stop here! Let us take it across the country!" he told the protesters at the rally.

US police savagery: More protests erupt in Memphis against killing of Tyre Nichols

Fresh rounds of protests erupt in Memphis against the fatal killing of Tyre Nichols by police officers.

Meanwhile, protests against the police killing of the Black man continued in the US city of Memphis.

Police violence against African-Americans and Asian Americans in the US has assumed alarming proportions in recent years, creating fear and panic.

In May 2020, following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, mass protests against police brutality and systemic racism erupted in many US cities, and beyond the borders.

The 46-year-old Black man was killed by a white cop who was kneeling on the back of his neck. Video recordings of the killing showed the former "killer cop" Derek Chauvin pressing on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes as the victim begged for mercy. The clip went viral, triggering mass protests.

One mass rally became violent in Washington, DC and protesters set parts of the US capital on fire on the night of May 31, 2020.

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