ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Hundreds of peaceful protesters took to the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine on Wednesday to call for social justice and an end to police brutality.
“No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.,” the protesters chanted while standing on the bridge’s walkway barrier.
Hundreds have marched onto the Bridge of Lions in #StAugustine in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. @staugrecord pic.twitter.com/pXJuG1avx6
— Will Brown (@wwbrown19) June 10, 2020
Some held signs demanding body cameras be worn by St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office deputies and officers with the St. Augustine Police Department. Others held signs that read “Black Lives Matter.”
“We’re just tired of having men and women of color being treated less than human beings,” said protester Alicia Fulwood.
Protester Adrian Deion said: “We want change. We (want) it to be transformed where everyone has equality."
Hundreds of peaceful protesters marched onto the bridge, lining both sides, before moving to historic St. George Street.
The St. Augustine Record reported the crowd grew as protesters marched along the street, but remained peaceful.
The #StAugustine Black Lives Matter protest is marching up St. George Street.
— Will Brown (@wwbrown19) June 10, 2020
The crowd is growing. But remains peaceful. @staugrecord pic.twitter.com/jHcVHpTveW
The protest ended at the Plaza de la Constitucion, where a Confederate monument remains despite calls in the past for its removal. But one protester told News4Jax that St. Augustine needs to follow Jacksonville and take the monument down.
“Especially in a town like St. Augustine, which is enriched with history. We understand that. It’s one of the most historic places in America, but that Confederate monument stands for something that we do not like, so, at this point, we want change,” said Adrian Deion.
Police made it clear that they supported the protest as long as it was peaceful.
Barbara Alexander, another protester who took part in the demonstration, said she realizes she’s taking part in something even bigger.
“I’ve had the privilege to view from the outside. What I take away from this protest specifically is that I’ve had the honor to participate in a real movement," Alexander said.
The demonstration was the third major march held in St. Augustine following the death of George Floyd, a black man whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked national outrage and widespread protests.
News4Jax learned another protest is planned for Sunday at 4 p.m. in downtown St. Augustine.