A march and protest in Cupertino Saturday raising awareness of police brutality drew hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. It was one of many events in support of the black lives matter movement in the region over the weekend.
The protests stem, in part, from the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by Minneapolis Police May 25.
Details were sparse in the days before the event, and organizers worked overtime to combat misinformation. In an Instagram post, event leaders reiterated that the event would be a legal and peaceful assembly.
According to all reports, that was what occurred on the sunny Saturday afternoon.
Several hundred demonstrators marched from Hoover Park through part of a neighborhood before protesting in front of the Santa Clara County Sheriff substation on De Anza Blvd.
Eventually the group returned to Hoover Park, where the rally continued with a number of speakers.
Most protestors wore masks to help combat the spread of COVID-19, and social distancing was followed much of the time.
Cupertino Council passes resolution supporting black community
Three days after a tense city council meeting where a number of Cupertino residents called on the City Council to take action, the Council unanimously passed a resolution of solidarity for the black community, stating its position for equality and against police brutality.
“The City of Cupertino condemns racial inequity in general and violence against the Black community by law enforcement in particular,” the resolution read, in part. To read the full resolution, click here.
The resolution mentioned some of the most prominent killings of black Americans in recent years.
“It was unquestionably unfair and unacceptable when the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant, and many others were taken as a result of discrimination and inequity. These lives mattered and Black lives matter.”
Protestors at Saturday’s event will continue pushing for concrete actions from city and county leaders.