BLM blocks streets over police killings

A bold Black Lives Matter march took Atlanta’s main downtown artery, Peachtree Street, on April 15 to demand justice for Stephon Clark, Saheed Vassell, Alton Sterling, Jamarion Robinson and Anthony Hill — to name just a few of those killed by police in Atlanta and across the country.

Protesters blocked intersections of this central thoroughfare on their way to Piedmont Park, where tens of thousands were gathered for the annual Dogwood Festival. The festival features an extensive array of arts and crafts booths and food vendors, as well as live performances.

The marchers moved directly in front of a large stage, chanting and holding their signs aloft, stopping the band’s music. While there were some negative responses, many in the crowd raised their fists in solidarity.

The long-awaited trial of the cop who killed a naked Anthony Hill, a young Air Force veteran suffering a mental breakdown outside his apartment, is scheduled to begin on April 23. Hill was shot by Robert Olsen on March 9, 2015. Olsen was finally indicted on multiple murder counts by a DeKalb County grand jury in January 2016.

Activists from the Black Lives Matter movement and disability community are mobilizing for a rally on April 21, and will pack the court for the motions hearing on April 23.