TUCSON, Ariz. -- Chants could be heard from small group gathered in front of Old Main Friday morning to call for an end to police brutality.
Although protesters said the demonstration was not organized by Black Lives Matter, they want them to know they stand by them.
Protesters peacefully lined the fountain at Old Main calling for justice and an end to police brutality.
“Although I’m not a black person of color, I still think it’s important to support the community tragedies that have happened, not just this year. Not just because of George Floyd, but for four hundred years,” explained Isabelle Mundl.
It was Mundl's fourth protest since demonstrations began one week ago in response of the recent death of George Floyd. Since the protests began, the four officers involved in the arrest that ultimately took Floyd's life have been charged.
Nonetheless, Mundl and others want their voices to be heard.
“I hope that everyone comes to the realization that all lives, as much as people are saying all lives matter. All lives won’t matter until black lives matter,” she said.
Some of the chants called for defunding police departments.
“We know that there are individual people that are good, but until the entire system is good those individual people are bad. When they are still standing on the side of the oppressor,” said Emma Mauceli.
Mauceli said she never thought she would be a part of another civil rights movement in the United States.
“I never thought I would be a part of this because what we were taught in school is that the civil rights movement was effective, that now we have equality, that now black people have equal rights. Obviously that’s not the case,” said Mauceli.
Mauceli added the group intended to march, but decided against it because no one from Black Lives Matter was at the demonstration.
"It wouldn’t be right if it was a group of white people marching without any black people, without anyone that is apart of Black Lives Matter," she explained.
Both protesters plan to continue to protest.
