On Friday afternoon, about 100 activists gathered at the California state Capitol in Sacramento to protest the death of 22-year-old Stephon Clark, who was killed by police in his own backyard Sunday night.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the activists gathered at the west steps of the Capitol just after 1 p.m. on Friday. They chanted “No justice, no peace, no crooked police!” while carrying carrying signs and photos of Clark.
Just the day before, protests over the shooting resulted in a brief closure of Interstate 5 and the blocking of access to the Golden 1 Center arena that caused a 20-minute delay in the start of an NBA game between the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.
Friday’s activists held their fists in the air in a moment of silence for the fallen Clark. They spoke out against the killing of young black people at the hands of police and even held legacy media accountable for what they say is unfair coverage of black shooting victims.
A candlelight vigil was planned for 7 p.m. Friday at a location near Sunday’s shooting to remember not only Clark but also others who have died at the hands of Sacramento police.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) tweeted Friday afternoon about Clark’s shooting, saying: “The death of Stephon Clark is tragic and painfully familiar. There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened and swift accountability. Now is the time for all of us to take action.”
Former Sacramento Kings player DeMarcus Cousins has reportedly reached out to Clark’s family to offer to pay his funeral expenses, according to the Sacramento Bee. The family had already set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his burial, and as of 4 p.m. PDT Friday, the campaign had raised $63,190.
The Sacramento Bee reports that Cousins already has a history of outreach in the Sacramento community. In 2015 he paid for the funeral expenses of a high school football player who was shot and killed before a playoff game.
Clark’s death is an unnecessary tragedy, but by keeping his name uplifted, we will be able to hold accountable those who are responsible for taking his life.