Yana Davis told a crowd gathered for a rally outside Duluth City Hall on Friday night that it's a police officer's responsibility to protect citizens and their community - but the trust citizens should have in law enforcement has been betrayed by a rash of officer-involved shootings of black men.

"There is no justification for the lives lost, but there very well can be justice and consequences for the action of brutality, dehumanization and segregation," she said. "Hate is taught and ignorance doesn't fall far from the tree."

About 150 people gathered outside City Hall to protest violence against black people and stand in solidarity with the black community in response to the recent officer-involved fatal shootings of Philando Castille in Falcon Heights, Minn. and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La.

The Justice City Coalition organized vigils and rallies at both the Duluth and Superior city halls. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson attended the Duluth vigil.

About 15 community members and leaders spoke at the gathering in Duluth. Duluth NAACP chapter President Claudie Washington, Mayor Emily Larson, Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken, state Rep. Erik Simonson and local church leaders were among those who spoke. Vigil attendees lit candles and had a moment of silence.

Larson said she has taken comfort in the community she believes Duluth to be.

"We understand the fear that is in the community now," she said. "Tonight we are a community that says and believes and knows that black lives matter."

Tusken told the crowd that "nobody should feel that when the police turn the lights on behind you, that you're not safe," he said. "We know we have more work to do."

Chrystal Gardner, who recently relaunched a Black Lives Matter group in Duluth, said organizers hoped the rally would raise awareness about the violence and racism black people are experiencing across the country.

Gardner said the shootings of Castile and Sterling "are murders, not just tragic events."

Gardner said she hopes Duluth can begin to examine places in the community where black people and other minorities experience inequality. She said that as the BLM Duluth chapter moves forward, it will focus on how the Duluth area can improve criminal justice, employment, housing and educational opportunities for black people.

For example, Gardner said if someone makes a report of experiencing racial injustice at their place of employment, that report goes to the Twin Cities instead of to Duluth's human rights officer. She said that's unfair because addressing the issue takes longer.

"That's an injustice here," she said. "We're hoping that the city will allow that officer to make actions when something happens."

As a black man living in Duluth, Henry Banks said he fears the police. He added that America has a history of running from racism and oppression, rather than confronting those issues.

"It does not feel like America anymore," he said. "My generation is out of breath. We ain't running anymore."

The local chapter of Black Lives Matter is planning another meeting at 2 p.m. next Friday, July 22, in the Damiano Center conference room.

The city of Duluth will hold a town hall meeting on public safety from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Denfeld High School.