A “Justice for Tyre” protest is planned Friday evening at Martyrs Park Downtown.
Footage of the incident that led to Tyre Nichols’ death is scheduled to be made public today. Officials said the video would be released sometime after 6 p.m. but did not give more specifics.
Many expect unrest after the footage is seen by the public. Many schools, businesses, and government offices announced they are closing early Friday in anticipation of possible civil unrest.
The Justice For Tyre protest is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. It’s the first organized gathering made public for this evening. On Facebook, the event is tagged #blacklivesmatter but it was not immediate clear who organized the event. However, the organizing group offers a toolkit for activism and gives a list of demands on the invitation. Here’s what it says:
Demands of the Family
1. Release the body cam footage
2. Charge the officers
3. Name all officers and public personnel Memphis, Tennessee that were on scene
4. Release the officers’ files
Community Demands
1. Pass the Data Transparency ordinance
2. End the use of pre-textual traffic stops
3. End the use of unmarked cars and plainclothes officers
4. Dissolve the [Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods – SCORPION], [Organized Crime Unit – OCU], and [Multi-Agency Gang Unit- MGU]. End the use of tasks forces
5. Remove police from traffic enforcement entirely