CINCINNATI — For the fifth straight weekend, hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Cincinnati calling for racial justice and speaking out against police violence and systemic racism.
The large crowd of protesters marched from Washington Park to the Hamilton County Courthouse on Sunday. Filling the street, the group then knelt and raised their fists during a moment of silence.
The crowd marched down Plum Street to Cincinnati City Hall, where they continued to protest.
Cincinnati for Racial Justice and its organizers are calling for more city funding for community projects, mental health services and other resources that directly support people in need.
“Real change is policy change,” said Garrad Belle, the operations lead of Cincinnati For Racial Justice. “Implementing real action that will empower communities and bring more accountability to our elected officials and our police officers.”
Speakers at the March for Racial Justice encouraged the crowd to keep the momentum going. The protests started about five weeks ago after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and they have continued in cities and communities across the country ever since.
In regard to City Council's recent approval of the 2021 city budget and the heated public meetings surrounding it, many of Sunday’s participants felt that city leaders are not paying much attention to their perspective.
“We’re just here to bring the community together and fight for what’s right and fight for racial equality,” said organizer Jelain Binford on Sunday.
