Photos: Point Breeze protests after George Floyd’s death
June 28, 2020
Protesters gathered on Saturday at Mellon Park, in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood, to protest Pennsylvania Code Title 18, Section 508, which regulates use of force for law enforcement in the state. The protest was another in the Civil Saturdays series of protests, organized by Black, Young and Educated. After gathering at Mellon Park, protesters moved to shut down the intersection of Beechwood Boulevard and Fifth Avenue, where several organizers shared personal stories, gave speeches and led chants of, “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! 508 has got to go!” and, “Defund the Police! Refund our People’s Peace!”
There have been numerous protests in the City in recent weeks, as part of a nationwide movement to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in late May at the hands of Minneapolis police. White police officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been charged with murder and manslaughter, knelt on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. There have been protests in Downtown, East Liberty, Oakland, South Side, and Bakery Square and the Hill District.