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Peaceful demonstration, 'Black Voices Matter,' held at Himmel Park

Posted at 11:17 PM, Jun 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-08 02:17:20-04

TUCSON, Ariz. — Dozens came together in the shade of the trees at Himmel Park.

Planting seeds of dialogue, starting with what it's like to be black in Tucson.

"I just feel like Tucson has a very under-represented black community."

Davon Collins said he lived here for six years, most of his family still does.

"It was definitely better than a lot of other places I lived in, but the racism is definitely very much still alive in Tucson against black people."

He helped organize this demonstration called 'Black Voices Matter.'

"So 'black lives,' that's just our life, our voice, is what we put out there."

While some people brought signs it was what Davon and other folks of color brought that made this less of a demonstration and more a monologue of black voices in the city.

"I've been stopped by the police at least five times in my time of living in Tucson," Collins said.

It was a peaceful assembly.

"So I just want to first come out and let you guys know that this is all love and that when you see people spreading hate that's the automatic thing that you have to is love," said Earnest Walker IV.

In fact only one TPD officer was spotted at a nearby parking lot and the group ended their demonstration well before Sunday night's 8p.m. curfew.

"All the riots and all the protesting and stuff like that it's not going to do nothing if you ain't loving people afterwards," Walker said.