by Alex Garland

The streets of Seattle were filling with angry voices. Despite the rain, despite the fear, despite the real threat of violence, people continued to find solace in chanting “Black Lives Matter” as they walked through the streets of downtown. Their voices echoed against the steel, concrete, and glass walls as they demanded respect for their lives.

The deaths of black men Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota at the hands of police officers were fresh in the minds of those gathering to remember their names at a vigil in Westlake Park. Nearly 1,000 people stood in the rain as Andre Taylor spoke on the importance of police reform. Taylor, whose brother Che Taylor was shot and killed by Seattle Police four months ago, is leading an initiative effort to change state law to make it easier to bring charges against police officers who kill civilians.

Read more at the Seattle Weekly