'Take Back America': 10K Foundation Marches Bringing Diverse Protesters Together For Change
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Downtown Minneapolis streets again swelled with people Saturday evening.
It was the fourth march organized locally by the nonprofit 10K Foundation.
Maintaining peace, while expressing concerns over systemic racism and police brutality, is at the core of each 10K march. And each time they hit the streets, organizers said the movement continues to gain steam.
The steps it takes to push for change can be an emotional and tiring process, but the group that marched through Minneapolis Saturday will tell you there's no rest for the weary.
"I think this will last until the proper changes have been made, and that starts with the police and the dominoes will fall," a protester named Antoine said.
Former NBA player Royce White helped organize the march. He spoke Saturday with WCCO's Norman Seawright III.
READ MORE: At Least 7 Minneapolis Police Department Employees Quit In Wake Of George Floyd's Death
"At some point the free people of this country have to band together and decide to take back America," White said.
Starting at U.S. Bank Stadium, several hundred protesters started weaving through downtown Minneapolis at about 4 p.m., ending with a peaceful demonstration in the St. Anthony Main area across the river.
White said what began as outrage over George Floyd's death has morphed into a worldwide movement to eliminate inequalities in all forms of government and society.
READ MORE: Minneapolis Police: We Will Not Touch George Floyd's Memorial
"We believe that gathering in this way and continuing to build that community awareness of what that fight really is and where those lines truly are is the next step," White said.
He points to growing support of other races this time around, which he feels will make the difference. White said participation from people who aren't black isn't just out of sympathy for black people.
"I think the participation in this movement comes from their own individual feeling of oppression on behalf of the state," he said.
The four officers involved in Floyd's deadly arrest have all been arrested and charged. Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other officers are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter.
READ MORE: Body Camera Video Could Offer More Detail In Floyd Encounter
