Nearly 300 people gathered around the stairs on the south side of the Rhode Island State House to hold a vigil in memory of Tyre Nichols, who was brutally murdered by five police officers from the Memphis Police Department during a traffic stop earlier this month. Harrison Tuttle, President of the Black Lives Matter RI PAC noted that events like this occurred frequently two year ago, and since that time there has been little in terms of legislative action to avoid these situations in the future.

“It is frustrating and extremely sad that we continue to see Black lives on TV, on our social media, being lost like it’s a primetime event,” said Tuttle. “I think all of us here acknowledge that the status quo isn’t good enough… [Policing] is the problem.”

Tuttle added that going to protests and vigils accomplishes less than going to the State House and advocating for legislative change. He urged this attending to pressure their representatives and senators to pass meaningful legislation restricting the power of police and reigning in the violence.

“One of the first things we can do, and I urge each of you to do it tomorrow, is to call your state rep, call your state senator, ad tell them that you demand that the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights, or LEOBoR, be repealed, and repealed right now, because, and repeat ofter me, Black men deserve to grow old,” said Jim Vincent, BLM RI PAC Boardmember and former NAACP Providence Branch President. “On the Federal level, the George Floyd Policing Act is stalled because of [issues around] immunity… I want each and every one of you with relatives in swing state to tell them to call your congressman.”

“We, as Black people, have been dealing with the abuse of authority since we were stolen from our homeland in Africa,” said the Reverend Howard Jenkins. “The abuse of authority has been given to those who are supposed to protect and serve. Our police officers are not bad, however, there are enough bad police officers who abuse their authority.

“Yes, we proclaim that Black Lives Matter, still, the painful reality and the disappointing reality is that this current situation, this violence of police, this brutality that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, was committed by law enforcement that looked like me,” said Reverend Jenkins, noting that the murder was committed by Black police officers.

“Every oppressive system in this country has found a way to dangle a little power in front of a few Black people and brown folks, and promptly handed them the whip,” said Cynthia Mendes, former State Senator. “This is not a new story…

“So what do we do? … When we enter spaces of power, we must guard our hearts. We need to make sure to make an internal and external commitment to make no excuses for oppressive systems. We need to always see ourselves, no matter our title, as change makers. And the biggest thing I to never conform…”

“I think about some of the first times this happened, with a bag of Skittles and Trayvon Martin. I think about the violence of sleeping and being killed in your own bed – Brianna Taylor. The violence of not being able to breathe – Eric Garner,” said Senator Tiara Mack (Democrat, District 6, Providence) drawing aline from the overt violence of police violence to the more common and more subtle violence of toxic pollutants in marginalized neighborhoods, poor and nonexistent social services, high housing prices and low minimum wages. “But then I think about people, just miles from my home who can’t breathe because of landfills in their backyards and the Port of Providence.

But I am also left with these fighting words: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.'”

“Do you know the name of the unit that murdered Tyre Nichols?” asked Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, former State Representative. “We don’t have the Scorpion Unit in Rhode Island, do we? What do we have? We have the Jump-Out Boys… They are in poor neighborhoods policing and harassing and terrorizing Black men.”

Memphis Police Chief Davis “did a remarkable thing,” said NAACP Providence Branch President Gerard Catala. “Swift action, without hesitation, she fired those five police officers. I hope and pray, if this every happens again, that that is now the precedent. Swift action.”

The vigil ended with Harrison Tuttle noting recent Rhode Island incidents of police violence in which police officers were found innocent of assault.

“Jennifer Rourke, not too far over there, was punched in the face by an off-duty cop, Officer Lugo, who got off,” said Tuttle. “There was a Pawtucket off-duty cop who shot a kid, and got off… So we have to ask ourselves: What are we going to do today? How are we going to move forward? How are we going to protect our own kids and women of color – the most disrespected people in this entire country?”