Black Lives Matter Protesters Demand Action At 'Die-In' Near Mayor Darrell Steinberg's House
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's officially been one week since protests over the death of George Floyd began in Sacramento and demonstrators continue the fight against police brutality.
Black Lives Matter Sacramento led the protest in the Pocket neighborhood of Sacramento, the home of Mayor Darrell Steinberg. They're hoping to make a clear statement to the mayor that they want to see major change and reform in the city.
Just before 6 p.m. Friday, the protesters blocked an intersection in Steinberg's neighborhood, demanding he lift the curfew.
READ ALSO: Peaceful Protesters Take To Sacramento Streets For Seventh Night, ACLU Demands Curfew Be Lifted
Organizers say they are asking the mayor to take a deeper look into a number of city policies including policing tactics.
CBS13 asked Mayor Steinberg how he feels that demonstrators are protesting in his neighborhood and he says he respects their right to protest and understand their concerns.
"We have had more than our share of police and sheriff shootings of African American men," Steinberg said. "It's long past time to look at what must change between the police and our communities."
Steinberg says he understands the passion and the need for change.
"I am not looking on behalf of our city to 'get through this,'" he said. "I want us to get back to some form of stability so that peaceful protest can continue."
He admitted change can only come from discomfort.
"I want us to be able to continue to be uncomfortable about what has led to the events of the past week," Steinberg said.
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But people who have been boots on the ground during the George Floyd protests are questioning Steinberg's intentions.
"If you're going to really show a sign of solidarity taking knees, marching, you now have to go march and walk with the people," community activist Berry Accius said. "We're questioning why did you bring in the National Guard?"
Steinberg pointed to the first weekend of demonstrations as the reason for the deployment of the National Guard troops and the 8 p.m. curfew that remained in effect Friday. He's hoping to be able to end the curfew by the end of the weekend.
"People will say 'he didn't call it early enough' others will say 'it's going on too far,'" Steinberg said.
But for the protesters near his house Friday, it's not just the curfew that's gone too far.
"We are getting murdered," protester Ashley Sally said.
They sat peacefully outside the mayor's home and demanded change.
"I hope the white man that's in power takes the time to hear us," Sally said.
We asked Steinberg about Sacramento's policing tactics. He said he supports a statewide ban of the carotid restraint hold, following Gov. Gavin Newsom's statement Friday.
READ ALSO: Newsom Orders End To 'Carotid Hold' Training In State Police Program
But protestors' message Friday was that talk is cheap, and they want action.
"I want to see the policy I want to see actual change," Sally said.
Steinberg tweeted about the protests Friday evening around 8 p.m. saying the demonstration was "a powerful and necessary expression of the anger and demand for greater change in our city and in our country."
