Dozens in Denver protest Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols

Dozens of demonstrators in Denver braved frigid temperatures this weekend to gather at the Colorado state capitol building and protest the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols.

About two dozen people waved signs, chanted or gave speeches Sunday afternoon during a brief protest over Nichols’ death as temperatures hovered around 6 degrees and the windchill dropped below zero. Protesters also gathered at the capitol building Saturday for a demonstration that started with speeches and ended with a march through city streets, The Denver Post’s news partner Denver7 reported.

“Hot, cold, rain, shine — I come out whenever my community needs me,” protester Jennifer Bravo said Sunday. She stood with a small group of people bundled in coats, scarfs, hats and gloves.

Nichols, 29, who was Black, was brutally beaten by five Black Memphis police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop, video of the encounter shows. He died three days after the beating. The five officers have been fired, and each charged with second-degree murder and related charges.

Video of the attack shows the officers beating Nichols, a FedEx worker, for several minutes, after he tried to run away during a traffic stop. Officers kicked him, beat him with a baton and punched him until he collapsed. They then failed to get him any medical attention for 20 minutes. Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis called the officers’ actions “heinous, reckless and inhumane.”

Bravo called Nichols’ killing “heartbreaking” and said his death struck her particularly because he left behind a young son. Bravo has a brother about the same age.

“Every day, Black folks get brutalized, profiled,” she said.

Another protester, Jan, who asked to be identified by her first name to avoid any problems at work, said she also participated in the widespread protests against police brutality in 2020 and is frustrated by the status quo.

“I’ve been out here for George Floyd, Elijah McClain,” she said. “And here we are, three years later and we’re still seeing these kinds of things happening.”

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