CLEVELAND — Protesters angered over a grand jury decision not to indict two law enforcement officers involved in shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice last June blocked roads in downtown Cleveland Tuesday afternoon.
Around 60 to 80 protesters walked from the Justice Center to the city’s Shoreway as law enforcement squad cars, mounted police and members of the media followed them. Protesters blocked intersections and attempted to enter the ramp onto I-90, but police stopped them and threatened arrest if demonstrators entered the highway.
Yelling, “Shut it down” and “no justice no peace,” and other chants, the protesters were detoured and found themselves walking in downtown Cleveland where most of the area was blocked off by the police. The protest ended at the Horseshoe Casino at 9 p.m.
During the rally at the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office building prior the march, organizers took turns on the microphone to speak to the press.
“As a religious leader and also a political leader and also a mother, I am just astonished — astonished that the judicial system does not have a problem with murdering black people,” one woman said. (RELATED: Justice Department To Continue Review Of Tamir Rice Case)
She added, “The word of God, talks about, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ And I’m standing here to tell you killing is murder. Now for the dispatcher not to tell the police officer that the gun was a toy gun — that was not a mistake.”
Rookie officer Timothy Loehmann shot and killed Rice after he and training officer Frank Garmback responded to a 911 call from dispatch about a young individual waving a gun around and pointing it at people outside a recreation center.
The 911 caller mentioned to dispatch the gun was likely a toy, but that information was never relayed to the officers.
The Justice Department announced Monday it will continue its investigation of the Rice case despite the grand jury’s decision not to indict the officers.