On a humid evening, hundreds of individuals march down Peachtree street, towards Piedmont Park, during a rally supporting Black Lives, Thursday, July 7, 2016. The protest was conceived by local Georgia activists following the police involved shooting deaths of Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Both African American men were killed while onlookers used their camera phones to capture the encounter.
“I have chills,” Myrlaun Walker, 29, says while holding up her fist to greet protesters as they marched past her, down Peachtree street, Thursday, July 7, 2106. Walker said she wanted to support the march because she was “tired of being afraid for my little brother.”
Kevin Moann, 68, walks silently down Peachtree street, holding a handmade sign during the protest, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
While being blocked by the unannounced protestors marching down Peachtree street, Venus Finley, 36, encourages them to continue their journey, Thursday, July 7, 2016. “It needs to stop,” Finley said in response to the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. “We are speaking our piece. I love being black.”
Hundreds of protesters cross over the Peachtree street bridge, some chanting “It is our duty to fight for our freedom,” during the march to Piedmont Park, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
With her voice almost gone, Bri Carter asks the crowd of protestors, “Whose Streets?” and they respond forcefully, “Our Streets!” while marching down Peachtree street, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
Customers and employees of Big Peach Running Company watch the protestors as they walk down Peachtree street, Thursday, July 7, 2016. The marches drew both positive and puzzled reactions from pedestrians as they moved down toward Piedmont Park.
During a short rest, Leticia Cortes raises her fist in participation while the crowd chants, at the intersection of Juniper and 10th street, July 7, 2016.
Protestors cheer in excitement as the near 10th street, the intersection that will lead them to their final destination, Piedmont Park, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
“I wasn’t able to participate,” Anicka Austin, 28, says as she hands out water from her car on 10th street, July 7, 2016. With a strong desire to join her friends and contribute to the protest, Austin stopped by a local store and bought packages of water to hand out to the protestors.
Residents captured images and videos of the protestors marching on their cell phones during the event, July 7, 2016.
An Atlanta Police Department helicopter flies above the protestors as they gathered inside Piedmont Park, Thursday, July 7, 2016. A leading police escort for the march was not linked with the group until they reached 10th street.
During a moment of silence in Piedmont Park, Noema Milliman, 25, burns sage and sage incense, Thursday, July 7, 2016. Incense was burned, Milliman said, to bring peace to the crowd.
Hundreds gathered around Meadow path, which looks over “The Meadow” inside Piedmont Park, in order to listen and voice their thoughts on policing within the community, with a local and national perspective, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
Following the almost 3 mile march, protestors gathered in Piedmont Park to listen to speakers give their regards on issues they have had when dealing with police, Thursday, July 7, 2016.
Thursday evening, around 6:30 pm, a large group of people were gathering outside of Underground Atlanta to protest the recent officer involved shooting deaths of two African American males. Bystanders looked on across the street as a tall skinny African American man gave the growing crowd of more than 200 people directions on where to march. “We are a collective of activist groups in Atlanta,” said Morehouse student and member of #AUCShutItDown, Avery Jackson as the crowd listened. “We are not marching just to be marching, but we are marching to organize.” Jackson voiced his frustration with the lack of change that has been brought about from other recent protests. “This isn’t about just tonight, right? Because we’ve been here before,” he said. “This space is going to be an affirming space for all black people.” Following Jackson’s speech, the pumped up crowd of varying ages, religions, sexual orientation, and economic status, began their journey down Peachtree street. A group of designated marshalls, who were mostly white individuals, stepped in front of moving traffic in order for the protestors to “speak their peace.” The crowd chanted boisterously, “Whose Streets? Our Streets!,” “It is our duty to fight for our freedom,” and “Black Lives Matter,” as they journeyed toward Piedmont Park. Cars honked in solidarity and others blasted their horns in frustration. Patrons of businesses and residence along Peachtree street used their cell phones to capture the event. The march ended at Piedmont Park with words from varying individuals that spoke on police brutality and its effect on the community, both national and local.
