July 30, 2024 / By mobanmarket
NEWARK, NJ — Newark activists marched in the city on Sunday to mourn for Sonya Massey as part of a national day of action against “police brutality.”
A sheriff’s deputy fatally shot Massey, 36, in her Illinois home on July 6 after she called 911 for help, fearing that a prowler was nearby. The officer has been charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty; bodycam video footage of the shooting has been released, the Associated Press reported.
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Massey, a mother of a 17-year-old and 15-year-old, is being mourned nationally, including in Newark, where a massive protest took place in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. Many advocates are pointing to similarities between other police shootings involving a Black victim and a white officer.
A local demonstration took place in Massey’s name in Newark on Sunday. Participants assembled at the Lincoln Monument and marched to Broad and Market streets for a rally. Watch video footage of the rally here.
Protesters lifted signs that read: “9-1-1 should not be a death sentence for Black people,” and “Stop police brutality.”
Several community groups spearheaded the march, including the People’s Organization for Progress, Newark Communities for Accountable Policing, the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization, All Politics Are Local and the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition.
Participants included Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, City Council President LaMonica McIver, Councilwoman Louise Roundtree and Councilman Dupree Kelly, in addition to several community activists and local residents.
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