Black Lives Matter will broadcast their message in Gulfport
The Black Lives Matter MS Movement will be conducting a protest Saturday at 4 p.m. in Jones Park in Gulfport.
The group made the following statement on an online events page: “This is a gathering for any and everyone (black or any other race) who agrees that police brutality against mostly black people is getting too far out of hand and out of control! We will hold bi-weekly meetings and discuss what other steps we should take and how to go about this professionally.”
Saturday’s protest is the third to happen on the Coast in a week. Two were recently held in Pascagoula.
The Black Lives Matter movement has held several protest and marches over the past year in response to the number of black men killed by members of law enforcement.
On Tuesday, July 5, Alton Sterling was shot and killed after being apprehended by Baton Rouge police officers. The following day, Philando Castile was shot to death by police officers outside of St. Paul, Minn.
Both deaths were captured on video and went viral on the internet.
Five Dallas police officers were shot and killed by Micah Johnson on Thursday, July 7 after a Black Lives Matters protest that was attended by hundreds of people.
Jackson County NAACP Curley Clark, on Friday, urged Black Lives Matter activists to stay away from retaliation and violence.
“We want the community to know NAACP supports peaceful protests, but we won’t condone violent actions by individuals or any vigilante actions against police,” Clark said.
Sun Herald reporter Karen Nelson contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Black Lives Matter will broadcast their message in Gulfport."