Protesters rattle downtown with hands raised chanting, “Eric Garner, Michael Brown; shut it down shut it down,” and, “Whose streets? Our streets.”

It began with just a few sign holders on the sidewalk, but Saturday evening’s protest against police violence in downtown Sacramento eventually drew a crowd of an estimated 200 who chanted and marched with purpose while blocking performance venues and a busy street intersection.

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“Eric Garner, of six children, does not deserve to die in the streets, choked by police,” yelled protest leader Berry Accius as the group formed shortly after 6pm at the intersection of J and 20th Streets.

Police arrived on the scene at approximately 5:45pm and maintained a substantial presence throughout the march while generally keeping a fair distance from the protesters.

Only once was the threat of violence prevalent when one passerby yelled out, “Act the fool, get shot.”

A protester attempted to follow the man down the street before others stopped him, urging everyone to keep the march peaceful.

Sacramento’s protest was part of a nation-wide movement on Saturday, stretching from New York City where over 50,000 reportedly took to the streets, to Berkeley, CA where USA Today reported that three cardboard cutouts of African Americans were found hanging on the UC campus.

Saturday’s march was also linked to previous events on Black Friday organized by the non-profit organization Blackout for Human Rights. The NGO began its movement of protests in wake of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the death of Eric Garner in New York.

‘There’s a green light on African Americans’

Some 200 protesters began their march just before 6:40pm to chants of “Black lives matter,” and “We can’t breathe,” while etching protest messages in the street using sidewalk chalk.

Accius, who’s also head of the local NGO “Voice of the Youth” and himself an African American, told Politics From the Sac, “The black man hasn’t been considered a person.”

Referring to the killings of Brown and Garner, Accius said, “That could have been me. I have to be out here.”

“Things haven’t changed since Rodney King,” he added. “There’s a green light on African Americans.”

The march turned down L Street toward the State Capitol as police rushed forward to block off intersections in the path of the group.

The protesters mounted the sidewalk and lay down at the entrance to the Convention Center Box Office where Accius and fellow leader Christina Arechiga sparred with security.

Arechiga, the cousin of Ernest Duenez Jr. who was gunned down by police under suspicious circumstances in Manteca in June 2011, led the protesters in chants and yelled through a megaphone, “We don’t want to die in these streets.”

“We want laws to be changed,” Arechiga told Politics From the Sac. “We want independent investigations, we want drug tests, and we want cameras (on police officers).”

Arechiga said that she had the opportunity to speak to Mayor Kevin Johnson in private regarding the issue of unnecessary police brutality.

“The Mayor said that he’s concerned. But he’s a politician. I think the police control the politicians because of the money they give them,” she said, claiming that Mayor Johnson has previously accepted funds from special interests connected to local police.

Arechiga expressed optimism however, saying, “I have to believe that in his heart, he wants change.”

‘People make their own choices’

The marchers continued with a candlelight vigil to the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium where they formed a large circle and held a moment of silence for Eric Garner.

Emotions ran high at the scene when 21-year-old Mario Marino began shouting at the protesters, “Go home, leave Sacramento alone.”

“They’re putting Democracy on other people,” Marino told Politics From the Sac, explaining that his brother works in law enforcement.

“People make their own choices,” Marino continued. “You make choices based on what’s inside you.”

The March continued down J Street back to its point of origin where protesters “occupied” the intersection, shutting down traffic for one last rally before agreeing to call it a night and disperse.

Another protest is planned for Thursday, December 18 at 5:30pm on the corner of 5th and L Street.