MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Saturday, two downtown protests advocating justice for Tyre Nichols took place in the city of Memphis — both beginning at 3 p.m.
The Powerful Peaceful Assemblies held a peaceful rally for Tyre at the I Am A Man Plaza located at 294 Hernando Street. Mental health and grief professionals are said to be on site.
Another protest held by the Memphis chapter of Black Lives Matter as well as DeCarcerate Memphis took place at 17 North Main Street.
On Friday night, protesters shut down parts of Interstate 55 in Memphis after video was released showing the police beating of Tyre Nichols.
The City of Memphis released several videos Friday evening showing five Memphis police officers beating Nichols. He died three days after those videos were recorded. He was 29.
The beating prompted murder charges against the five officers and outrage at the latest instance of police brutality in the U.S.
Memphis protests seek justice for Tyre Nichols
A crowd had originally gathered at Martyr's Park, but the gates were closed there.
Shortly after the video's release at 6 p.m., the crowd took to I-55 in downtown Memphis and appeared to be headed towards the Mississippi River Bridge.
Westbound traffic appeared to be stopped as protesters moved down the highway.
There were no immediate reports of damage, and police were in the area.
Protests continued by 9 p.m. on Friday night, with demonstrators vowing to continue until they met with city officials, including the mayor or the police chief.
The protesters' demands included release of the personnel files of the officers charged in Nichols' death, and the dismantling of the Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods (SCORPION) squads.
