BEAUMONT, Texas — Protestors gathered Tuesday afternoon along Concord Road in Beaumont in response to the death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis.
The group held signs and chanted on Concord near Lucas, shouting 'George Floyd,' 'Black Lives Matter,' and 'No Justice, No Peace,' among other chants.
Dozens were in attendance for the 2 p.m. protest.
Down in Port Arthur, local NAACP chapters held a "Let Your Voice Be Heard Gathering."
One man in attendance said he's not blaming anyone; he just wants change.
"I just want equality. It's not a white person's fault or black person's the way I look at things," said Port Arthur resident Parris Olliver.
Several people took center stage Tuesday including Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso.
"We're trying to be a better police department. We have excellent police officers and civilian staff," Chief Duriso said.
He said his community and officers are as close as ever, but more can be done.
"We've bridged the gap up to this point, but there's still more work to do,” Duriso said. “My goal is if somebody had a problem in the crowd, I would go out in the crowd and address it."
He did just that after one man questioned what police are doing to make sure what happened to George Floyd doesn't happen here or ever again.
Following the event, the crowds decided to march throughout downtown. But Olliver said just hitting the streets isn't enough.
"Protesting without progression is dead," Olliver said. He said protesting has been going on. So now, it's time for a different approach.
"My people have to educate themselves, we have to come together as a community," Olliver said
A table was set up at the pavilion for people to register to vote. Chief Duriso encourages the community to reach out to police and keep the discussions going.
"Don't let this be the last time we meet,” Duriso said. “We need to meet again and we need to meet often."
During Tuesday's Beaumont city council meeting, the Beaumont NAACP announced another protest is scheduled to take place on June 19th at Martin Luther King Junior Park, in downtown Beaumont.
VIDEO | Tuesday's Port Arthur NAACP sponsored gathering (below)
Nationwide unrest and protests have followed the death of George Floyd after a video circulated online showing a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck.
An independent autopsy showed that he died from asphyxiation due to sustained forceful pressure, according to the Floyd family's attorneys, who hired an independent company to perform the autopsy.
In a press release sent on Monday afternoon, Benjamin Crump, a prominent Civil Rights and Use-of-Force attorney, said that the independent autopsy showed Floyd's death was caused by "asphyxia due to neck and back compression" while Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been fired, had his knee on Floyd's neck. Chauvin was charged on Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
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