A protester during the a peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Protesters gathered in downtown Jackson Sunday in a peaceful demonstration against police brutality following the recent death of George Floyd who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The protest started at the Governor’s Mansion and ended at the Jackson Police Department.
“We are tired of black lives being taken by police officers and we are just tired of racism, period,” protest organizer Bria Williams said. “We want to know how Mississippi leaders feel about what is going on in America with race.”
Protests have been taking place in cities across America after the video of Floyd in handcuffs and police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck went viral. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
People from various racial backgrounds and ages took part in Sunday’s protest in Jackson.
“We want to show the nation that although we have a past that is tainted with racial tension, that today we wanted to make a change and show the world that Mississippi can care about racism in a peaceful way,” Williams said. Here is a collection of images from the demonstration:
Protesters outside of the Jackson Police Department in downtown Jackson, Miss., Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
A protester during the a peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
A protester during the a peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
A protester outside of the Jackson Police Department in downtown Jackson, Miss. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Protesters outside of the Jackson Police Department in downtown Jackson, Miss., Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Melody Jones, left, and Amber Jones participate in a peaceful protest in downtown Jackson, Sunday, May 31, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
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Jackson Protest: ‘We are tired of black lives being taken by police officers’
by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today June 1, 2020
Eric J. Shelton was a 2018 corps member in Report for America, and joined the team as our first photojournalist. A native of Columbia, Miss., Eric earned his bachelor’s in photojournalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a multimedia journalist for Abilene Reporter-News, chief photographer for the Hattiesburg American and photo editor for the Killeen Daily Herald before joining our team June 2018. He rejoined Mississippi Today as our health photojournalist in January 2022.