An estimated 5,000-6,000 Cincinnatians took to Fountain Square Sunday to protest the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others. Following a program featuring local leaders, the thousands of attendees took to the streets to march through downtown and Over-the-Rhine chanting "no justice, no peace" and carrying signs advocating for general change — an end to racial injustice — and specific policy proposals, including defunding police departments. The march ended at the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Continued anger swirls over the death of Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin May 25 after Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. The protests have also highlighted a number of other deaths of black citizens at the hands of police, including the killing of medical professional Taylor in Louisville, who was shot to death after police served a no-knock search warrant on her house looking for someone who was not a resident there.
Cincinnati is no stranger to police killings of unarmed black residents. In April 2001, the city witnessed several days of civil unrest due to the killing of unarmed black 19-year-old Timothy Thomas by Cincinnati police officer Stephen Roach. The city saw another wave of protests following the 2015 killing of unarmed black motorist Sam DuBose by University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing.
Sunday's event was peaceful, and Cincinnati Police say no one was arrested.
Photos by Nick Swartsell
