TAMPA, Fla. (WLFA) – Dark skies and pouring rain did not stop protesters from marching again Wednesday night on Tampa city streets. The crowd started with a dozen or so people in Hyde Park Village and grew throughout the night.
The night was considerably calmer, but the protesters were vocal with a clear message. They were here for George Floyd.
Protester Annalise Freeman told 8 On Your Side, “It’s just senseless, these are members of our community that all have a purpose here. Everybody has a purpose and a right to live. Everybody has to have the same rights.”
Businesses in Hyde Park closed early for the day at 4 p.m. after messages circulated on social media that a protest would take place Wednesday night. While it was a peaceful protest, business owners feared the worst after seeing unrest in recent days throughout Tampa.
Protesters in the crowd insisted that they were here for peace and equality, wanting to exercise their first amendment rights.
“We’ve been protesting peacefully, police have been shooting rubber bullets at us, throwing tear gas, but we haven’t done anything wrong,” one man told 8 On Your Side. “We want peace.”
While the city curfew was lifted, Tampa police remained in place all over, just in case. They even staged near entrances to the interstate, along with Florida Highway Patrol troopers, ensuring that no one would try to protest along the Crosstown Expressway.
The group marched through the rain all the way to The Green Lemon along Howard Avenue in Tampa’s Soho district.
“We all get looked at different than everybody else,” said protester Jay Jeezy. “We get looked at the wrong way, the wrong stares. Other races think less of us.”
March organizer Ari Chi tells 8 On Your Side they will remain passionate rain or shine
“We are passionate because we are tired of our skin color being illegal. It’s not fair.”
The group plans to be back out on Tampa city streets Thursday.
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