Demonstrations regarding the police shooting deaths of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota will continue in D.C. this weekend, according to dozens of posts to social media.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said in a news conference Friday morning that six separate demonstrations were planned for the weekend. She did not specify the nature of the events.
A Black Lives Matter protest started at 5 p.m. Friday outside the U.S. Department of Justice, social media posts said. Participants brought posters, candles and instruments.
#DMVPROTEST #BlackLivesMatter
— #DMVPROTEST (@DmvProtest) July 8, 2016
Friday July 8th.
950 Pennsylvania Avenue ,Washington D.C pic.twitter.com/k1owTSAali
The only way to #StoptheViolence is to stand w/each other & share the sadness & love. #DMVProtest #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/Jpqr45fTLz
— Amanda Tolka (@amanda_tolka) July 8, 2016
Another event is planned for 5 p.m. Sunday, near the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum, according to Facebook posts. "BeyondTheHashTag - A Call to Action and Prayer Vigil for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile," the event is called.
Scores of people peacefully marched through D.C. streets Thursday night in protest of two police shootings that have sparked another heated debate about police brutality in America.
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an officer fatally shot Alton Sterling, 37, during a confrontation outside a convenience store. Outside St. Paul, Minnesota, an officer fatally shot Philando Castile, 32, during a traffic stop.
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The continued protests come in the wake of the ambush Thursday night on officers in Dallas. The attack during a protest killed five officers and hurt seven officers and two civilians.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said officers cornered a suspect — later identified as Micah X. Johnson, of Mesquite, Texas — and tried to negotiate with him for several hours before talks broke down. Johnson told police he was upset by recent police shootings and "wanted to kill white people."
