RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Dozens of protesters populated Marshall Street outside of Richmond City Hall Monday evening.
Bicyclists blocked nearby traffic, cars were put in park on the road. All this as people reverberated messages behind a megaphone about police brutality and a surge of violence in the city.
“We will not tolerate another black life being lost. Not one more,” a protester on a megaphone said.
One agreed item among those protesting: what’s billed as “defunding the police.“
Around that time, a people spray painted the phrases “DEFUND RPD!” and “ABOLISH POLICE” on the road. 8News’ recording of the ordeal was not welcome by some.
The latest call to reappropriate police funding came as Richmond City Council was set to vote on an ordinance, accepting nearly $477 thousand dollars in federal funding for law enforcement to respond to the current pandemic.
Protesters took issue with the appearance of this, as they continued pushing for police funds to be redirected to areas such as mental health.
At about 6:40 p.m. protesters left the E. Marshall Street side of City Hall, headed north on 9th Street.
After turning onto Mosby Street, the crowd has dispersed at the parking lot of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, with protesters getting into cars and leaving.
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