By Kennedy Chase
Medill Reports
In light of the recent murder of Tyre Nichols, for which five Memphis police officers have been charged, the Chicago Alliance along with other local organizations rallied together Jan. 30 in Federal Plaza in solidarity. Although the temperature was below freezing, that did not stop this emotional crowd from rallying together in support.
TRANSCRIPT:
[Sad music playing]
Speaker: Say his name!
Crowd: Tyre Nichols!
Speaker: No justice!
Crowd: No peace!
Speaker: No justice!
Crowd: No peace!
Speaker: No justice!
Crowd: No peace!
Speaker: No justice!
Crowd: No peace!
JOSEPH WILLIAMS, executive director of Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club: I’m here for Tyre Nichols. What happened to that young man was very tragic. It made me very sad.
Speaker: We believe that we can end police terror!
Crowd: We believe that we can end police terror!
WILLIAMS: It was crazy because when the video got released, I wanted to see the video. But after I had seen the video, I could do nothing but cry.
Speaker: All those police in Memphis are guilty. All of them.
MERIDITH HAMMER, Chicago attorney: I am here to remember Tyre Nichols in particular but all the other people in our community, in the Black community, in the brown community and any community who has been brutalized by the police.
Speaker: I’m standing here for George. I’m standing here for Tyre. I’m standing here still for my husband.
WILLIAMS: It shows to some folks, Black men in particular, do our lives really matter?”
Speaker: We are not afraid. I said we are not afraid.
Crowd: We are not afraid!
HAMMER: I do think that it’s important to come out and to come together in solidarity, right, against these types of killings. I believe it was a murder. I believe the cops were trained to do this to this young man.
WILLIAMS: We have to show folks that we deserve justice. Not only do we deserve justice, but our voice matters. That we are standing in solidarity no matter if we’re here in Chicago or we’re in Memphis, Tennessee. This is the same cause that affects us around the world.
Speaker: Freedom all!
Crowd: Freedom now!
Speaker: Freedom all!
Crowd: Freedom now!
Kennedy Chase is a Video and Broadcast graduate student at Medill. You can connect her on LinkedIn.
