A video of a police officer in Louisiana comforting a crying protester during a protest has gone viral.
An emotional crowd gathered in Shreveport on May 31 as part of nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, who died while in police custody after an officer knelt on the African American man for over 8 minutes.
Protesters marched from the Greyhound station to the Caddo Parish courthouse downtown, according to ArkLaTex, demanding police be held accountable for the death.
In the viral video, a police officer goes up to a crying young protester, offers consoling words, and hugs him.
According to Nola, quoting an NBC reporter, the protester feared for his life when the officer told him not to be on top of the courthouse statue.
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins wrote a Facebook post on Sunday morning expressing his respect for the right to peacefully protest.
“The City of Shreveport and SPD respects the First Amendment rights of all citizens to peaceably assemble and seek meaningful change. We will do all that we can to help facilitate safe demonstrations,” Perkins wrote.
No arrests or violence were reported during the demonstration and speakers at the courthouse reportedly called for another 45 days of peaceful protest.
“This is day one! Tomorrow, because they tell us we have to wait for investigations, we tell them we will march, protest, and organize action for 45 days until we gain the results of not only an investigation, of not only an arrest but until the system is abolished in every corner of every city in this nation, in this state. We will organize!” said Omari Ho-Sang, one of the speakers.
Protests have been held throughout the United States, including in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.
