MEMPHIS, Tenn. — People gathered to protest the death of Tyre Nichols in downtown Memphis on Saturday.
The news about the SCORPION unit ending comes as demonstrations were held throughout Memphis Saturday afternoon following the release of the video of Tyre Nichols’ death.
One group said despite the rain and wind they wanted to honor Tyre Nichols by saying his name through the streets of Memphis.
There were about 40 to 50 people that gathered at “I Am A Man” Plaza. From there, they went to the city’s most iconic street chanting, “I put my hands above my head, please don’t shoot me dead,” and “Justice for Tyre.”
Their demands are simple: they want everyone who made the scene the night Tyre Nichols was beaten by police to fired and charged.
Organizer Devante Hill said the following about the permanent deactivation of the SCORPION unit: “We’re going to end up on the right side of history because we got a community that knows how to stick together with hard at first African-American female police directors you can always count on a black woman to get in there and do the job.”
As for what happens next, the group plans to gather again after Tyre’s funeral which falls on the first day of black history month.
Below are videos from protests on Saturday:
In response to protests, MATA said, “We will suspend trolley services at 5 PM today until further notice. We will provide an update via our social media channels and OmniLert.”