Protesters across the nation marched peacefully, decrying police brutality over the killing of two African-American men this week. They wept, held signs and chanted, “Black Lives Matter.”
The Friday protests came a day after a sniper killed five police officers during a demonstration in Dallas.
Crowds gathered for an interfaith prayer vigil in Dallas to honor the police officers, CNN affiliate KTRK reported.
Black Lives Matter condemned the violence in the Dallas attack, calling the attack a tragedy not just for those affected but the nation as well.
“Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it. Yesterday’s attack was the result of the actions of a lone gunman. To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible. We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us.”
Friday’s anti-police brutality demonstrations were held in several cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit, New Orleans, Nashville, Phoenix, San Francisco and New York.
The protests erupted this week after videos surfaced showing two African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were shot by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Their deaths along with several African-Americans before them, spurred debate over the police use of force and questions over racial profiling.
A “die-in” was held near President Barack Obama’s residence in Chicago and demonstrators gathered in front of the White House. In Washington, prominent African-American congressmen, including Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, joined the protests.
“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, we have a moral obligation to stand up,” he told the crowd who marched from the White House to the Capitol building.
In Baton Rouge, where Alton Sterling was fatally shot Tuesday, protesters marched near the police headquarters. About 200 to 300 protesters faced officers in riot gear under heightened tensions, as community leaders tried to calm down the crowd. Tempers flared when one man threw a cup of ice at a police officer, but the crowd dispersed later in the evening.
In Atlanta, a crowd of about 2,000 people blocked a downtown interstate ramp during a march organized by the NAACP.
In San Francisco, people rallied in front of the waterfront holding signs that read: “Stop racist police terror in the U.S.”
Protesters in Oakland had blocked a highway early Friday morning, blocking traffic on both sides A protest was also held Friday in London.