This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, demonstrators across the country are protesting law enforcement treatment of black people.
The holiday resonates this year in particular after a wave of protests followed high-profile killings of black men and boys by white police officers. Protests first flared in Ferguson, Missouri, after 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, was shot to death by officer Darren Wilson, who is white.
Protests and marches around the country are using #ReclaimMLK and other hashtags to spread the word on social media on Monday.
New York City's "Dream for justice" march began in upper Manhattan. Protests have been especially common in New York City after Staten Island resident Eric Garner died in July when a white police officer named Daniel Pantaleo put him in an illegal chokehold. A grand jury decided not to indict Pantaleo in December, which led to protests.
People fired up, waves of chants going, light snow flurries now as march starts to move #DREAM4JUSTICE #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/eYLc93NLMO— Beth Whitney (@bethwhitney) January 19, 2015
.@NYjusticeleague gathered at the head of the #Dream4Justice march and it is on the move: crossing 110th. #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/AHqE3KgYHD— Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) January 19, 2015
@TamikaDMallory kicking off our #DREAM4JUSTICE press conference #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/sdltJUsQ2W— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) January 19, 2015
A protest also took place in St. Louis, just miles from Ferguson.
#ReclaimMLK STL pic.twitter.com/c8kA30g6XH— deray mckesson (@deray) January 19, 2015
Demonstrators gathered in Cleveland, where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot while holding a pellet gun.
Protesters in Cleveland gather at spot where Tamir Rice was killed, prepare to march #reclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/zGyodmQ6KI— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) January 19, 2015
Protests, marches, parades and ceremonies of all kinds are planned throughout the day in cities nationwide.