Hundreds of people protesting a fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man in California’s capital city, on Thursday marched into City Hall, disrupted rush-hour traffic on a freeway and then joined hands to block thousands of NBA fans from entering the arena where the Sacramento Kings were playing the Atlanta Hawks.
Protesters shouting “shut it down” formed a human chain outside the Golden 1 Center while dozens of police initially attempted to clear entrances before fans were told to go home. The game started about 20 minutes late and was played before about 2,000 fans in the 17,000-seat arena.
The protesters eventually dispersed and no arrests were made.
Photo: EPA-EFE
After the game, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive addressed the small crowd from center court, surrounded by Sacramento’s players and coaches.
He expressed sympathy for the family of Stephon Clark, 22, who was shot on Sunday last week in the backyard of his grandparents’ home.
“We are so very sorry for your loss,” Ranadive said. “We at the Kings recognize people’s abilities to protest peacefully and we respect that. We here at the Kings realize that we have a big platform. It’s a privilege, but it’s also a responsibility. It’s a responsibility that we take very seriously and we stand here before you, old, young, black, white, brown, and we are all united in our commitment.”
Clark was suspected of breaking into cars in a South Sacramento neighborhood. Police were called and as a helicopter hovered overhead, Clark ran. Officers on the ground cornered him and, believing he had a gun in his hand, fired 20 rounds.
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