People gathered in Aurora’s municipal centre on Saturday, calling for justice for McClain. Protesters were holding signs saying "My Life Matters", "No Justice, No Peace", and "The Violence Needs to Stop".
People gathered in Aurora’s municipal centre on Saturday, calling for justice for McClain. Protesters were holding signs saying "My Life Matters", "No Justice, No Peace", and "The Violence Needs to Stop".
No injuries or arrested were reported, but a local highway was shut down during the day, The Denver Post reported on Saturday. According to the newspaper, the Saturday protest, in which thousands participated, was organized by the Denver chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The Aurora Police Department said ahead of the protest that it supported a peaceful demonstration over the tragic loss of Elijah McClain.
"Unfortunately, we know outsiders may be in attendance to hijack the intended message today by being destructive and wreaking havoc upon a community they do not live nor work in", Aurora police said in a statement.
On Friday, US Attorney General William Barr said that the Justice Department was forming a task force to counter anti-government extremists that have become active amid protests against police brutality and racial discrimination in the US. According to Barr, in recent weeks, anti-government extremists have undermined peaceful protests, attacked police officers, government officials, destroyed public and private property, and threatened innocent people.
Earlier this week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordered the state attorney general to investigate the case of Elijah McClain, who died after a confrontation with Aurora police in August 2019. The case drew renewed attention amid Black Lives Matter protests that began after the death of African American George Floyd in police custody in May.