In 2014, a series of high-profile police brutality and racial injustices' rocked the United States. In Staten Island, Eric Garner, an African-American man, died after being put in a chokehold by a white police officer during an arrest. Garner's last words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry for protesters nationwide.
In Sanford, Florida, an unarmed African-American teenager, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer named George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was acquitted of Martin's murder, sparking outrage.
And in Ferguson, Missouri, Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer named Darren Wilson. Brown's death sparked protests in Ferguson and across the country, as many saw it as a symbol of systemic racism and police brutality.
These deaths recorded and distributed on the internet started a national conversation about something largely left unseen, police violence and racial injustice in America. Protesters took to the streets in cities across the country, demanding change and calling for accountability for police officers who used excessive force.
However, not everyone was supportive of the protests. In response to the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, a movement called Blue Lives Matter emerged. Blue Lives Matter is a pro-police movement that seeks to support and defend law enforcement officers and their work.
The emergence of Blue Lives Matter highlighted the deep divisions in America over issues of policing, race, and justice. While some saw the movement as a necessary response to what they saw as unfair targeting of police officers, others saw it as a distraction from the urgent need to address police brutality and racial injustice.
The controversy over police violence and racism in America continues to this day, with ongoing protests and debates over issues of police reform and criminal justice. The deaths of Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown in 2014 were just the beginning of a long and challenging conversation that will continue to shape the future of America.
11/24/2014 - Protestors listen as a St. Louis County grand jury announces no criminal charges against Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri, more than three months ago.
11/24/2014 - Protestors gather in Times Square, New York City, to march and chant slogans such as "No Justice, No Peace" in response to the announcement of no criminal charges being brought against Darren Wilson, a white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri more than three months prior.
NYPD officers stand in formation, ready to make arrests, as protestors march in Times Square on December 5, 2014, to demonstrate against the recent grand jury decision to not bring criminal charges against Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri.
NYPD officers prepare to make arrests as protests continue in Times Square on December 5, 2014, following the decision of a St. Louis County grand jury to not bring criminal charges against Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri more than three months prior.
The Rockaway Youth Task Force leads a protest on the east side of FDR Drive, with NYPD helicopters keeping a watchful eye overhead. The protestors were demanding justice for recent deaths of Black Americans at the hands of the police. Traffic on the heavily trafficked highway was blocked for hours as tensions between protestors and police officers escalated. (11/25/2014)
(11/25/2014)
Activists deliver impassioned speeches to a crowd of thousands at Times Square. (11/25/2014)
Crowds cheer angrily in call-and-repeat style chanting, "Hands Up! Don't Shoot!"
Protestors take to the streets, stopping traffic on FDR Drive in East Manhattan, as they march and demand justice for Black lives.
Protestors chant "Who's Streets? Our Streets" as they march through the streets of Manhattan. (11/25/2014)
Protestors and NYPD officers confront each other on the heavily trafficked FDR Drive, which runs along the east side of Manhattan, as traffic is brought to a standstill during a demonstration calling for justice in the recent string of black deaths at the hands of police. (11/25/2014)
Manhattan residents look on as protesters march past their windows. (11/24/2014)
"A U.S. Postal Service truck driver cheers on as Black Lives Matter protesters march in the streets."
(11/25/2014)
"Protesters hold their hands up in support of Black Lives Matter movement at Penn Station."
"Protesters stage a "die-in" demonstration at Penn Station in support of the Black Lives Matter movement."
"A protester receives aid for pepper spray exposure, including having milk poured in her eyes, during a demonstration." 12/4/2014
12/4/2014 - NYPD officers make arrests during a demonstration in New York City.
