A civil rights demonstration on Des Moines’ south side continued Friday evening with some participants praising activism they said led Iowa earlier in the day to …
A civil rights demonstration on Des Moines’ south side continued Friday evening with some participants praising activism they said led Iowa earlier in the day to ban most police chokeholds and address police officer misconduct.
Demonstrations have been ongoing in Des Moines for most the last two weeks, following national outrage sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody.
The Iowa Legislature passed this week and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Friday bipartisan legislation centered on police conduct.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is to show up to these things,” Matthew Bruce, a civil rights activist who organized the ongoing demonstration near Southridge Mall.
Civil rights demonstrators marched in downtown Des Moines earlier Friday in an event organized by Movement 515, a community arts group. The event began at 4 p.m. at Central Academy and moved to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, where organizers gave speeches between performances of poems, raps and chants.
The ongoing event began at 7 p.
