Protesters across the country rally after Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
As protesters in Akron dispersed in time for the city's 9 p.m. curfew Monday, one week after police fatally shot Jayland Walker, others in cities across the country kept protesting.
Walker, 25, died after being shot multiple times June 27 by Akron police officers following a brief chase.
More: Akron protesters gather at justice center, eventually disperse around 9 p.m. curfew
The protests often coincided with planned demonstrations against the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
More: What we know about the fatal Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker
In Columbus, two separate marches – one for abortion rights and the other for Walker – merged on Monday, WKYC-TV reported. Protesters chanted “Black Lives Matter” and Walker’s name as they marched down the street from the Ohio Statehouse.
Protest for the murder of #JaylandWalker in Columbus, Ohio. It’s sad that we even have to do this 💔 pic.twitter.com/eTxzeFJFKs
— Whiiiiiiitttttt (@crewsum) July 4, 2022
Across the country in Phoenix, Arizona, around 200 abortion-rights supporters demonstrating in front of U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s office took a knee in a moment of silence for Walker.
“We are going to take 90 seconds to acknowledge this man, and that does not do justice for a beautiful human being who went through trials and tribulations and experiences that you can relate to,” an organizer said. “He had his ups and downs and life, and he should have been able to live and breathe at this very moment and stand in solidarity in a space like this in Akron, Ohio, but instead he’s another (expletive) hashtag.”
“Is there a problem with that?” the organizer called to the crowd, which responded with a resounding “yes.”
Speakers at the Pro-Choice protest at Kyrsten Sinema office take a moment to honor the recent killing of Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio. Now on the March.#JaylandWalker #Phoenix #Protest #RoeVsWade #Akron pic.twitter.com/FqMAfmVEL6
— Sean Campbell (@scampbellfilms) July 5, 2022
In Washington, D.C., protesters clashed with district police Monday night as they demonstrated for both abortion rights and Walker.
Say his name! #JaylandWalker
Whose streets! Our streets! pic.twitter.com/YEHMMUvZEv— MiscreantMouse (she/her) (@LiteraryMouse) July 5, 2022
As others celebrated the Fourth of July on the National Mall, protesters marched through the mall and onto surrounding streets, chanting “Say his name! Jayland Walker.”
I will be posting more detailed thread tomorrow but it's almost 4am, so I need to log out for the night.ill leave you with a video of DC showing out for #JaylandWalker #akron to dc we show solidarity. pic.twitter.com/Eaalw8kBZH
— Wayward.streamer (@StreamerWayward) July 5, 2022
At a concert he was hosting in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday night, Akron native DAntonio Parmer had concertgoers light up their phone flashlights before leading the arena in a call-and-response chant of Walker’s name.
“This is for everybody who been losing their lives to the police,” Parmer said while wearing a “Justice for Jayland Walker” T-shirt.
WE IN KANSAS CITY IN I MEANT WHAT I SAID WHEN I WAS GONE HAVE THE WHOLE ARENA SCREAM #JAYLANDWALKER 🙌🏽 IM USING MY PLATFORM ( WE NEED JUSTICE 🌍 #JUSTAKIDFROMAKRON
Posted by DAntonio Parmer on Sunday, July 3, 2022
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Protests nationwide after Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker