Demonstrators in downtown Tampa mark 5 years since murder of George Floyd
The Brief
Demonstrators gathered in downtown Tampa on Sunday, marking five years since the death of George Floyd.
The Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression or (TAARPR) called for reforms in policing.
Sunday's demonstration remained peaceful, in stark contrast to the riots in 2020.
TAMPA, Fla. - Five years after riots in the days following George Floyd's murder, protests were peaceful in downtown Tampa on Sunday as demonstrators came together to call for reforms in policing.
What they're saying
"It's hopefully like an effort to bring us a little closer to this fight for, like, police accountability," Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR) member Gareth Dawkins said.
A few dozen demonstrators, part of the Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression or (TAARPR), came together at Curtis Hixon Park to demonstrate.
Dig deeper
Specifically, they're calling for the passage of proposed federal legislation known as the "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act." If passed, it would ban chokeholds, limit the use of no-knock warrants, require body cameras and establish a national registry of police misconduct.
The bill has been around since 2020, but every year around this time it has failed to pass through Congress. They're hoping this year is different.
"The murder of George Floyd, like stirred the nation. It, like, truly sort of changed how a lot of people see policing in the United States," Dawkins said.
Sunday's demonstration was a stark difference to what happened in Tampa in 2020, days after Floyd's death. Buildings were set on fire. Stores in the University area were looted. Nearly 50 people were arrested. Now, five years later, it's peaceful in the same spot where violence broke out.
Along with federal legislation, TAARPR is also pushing for local action. They would like to see an independent police advisory committee created to give citizens more say about policing and hold officers more accountable.
"We're fighting for a body of people to be elected and be an independent body from people such as the mayor, people such the police department and the police union to hold police accountable, to have a say in whether. We need things such as, you know, certain measures to whether it be like body cams," Dawkins said.
The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jordan Bowen.
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