Hundreds March Through Streets Of Manhattan On 1-Year Anniversary Of Breonna Taylor's Death
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Saturday marked one year since Breonna Taylor was killed by police during a raid at her apartment.
People around the country gathered to mark the somber occasion.
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Manhattan, chanting her name and holding her legacy close to their hearts.
"I wonder what she would say if she was here, but she can't speak for herself and that's why we are here," protester Mila Jam told CBS2's Kiran Dhillon. "Black trans lives matter, Black women's lives matter, Black lives matter. I feel like if we're not repeating it enough, people will forget to stand up for it."
Monikha Reyes held back tears at a rally in Carl Schurz Park.
"Even though she's not here, she's affected so much unintentionally," she said.
Twenty-six-year-old Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was shot and killed by police during a botched raid in her Kentucky home last year.
The three police officers involved have since been fired.
None have been criminally charged in her death because the state's Attorney General has said they acted to protect themselves.
"She was in her bed. There's nothing safer than that. She was an EMT, helping people," Reyes said.
"I want to come out with the people who I protested with all last year and be a part of it again and remind people that we're still upset about this," one protester in Times Square said.
Many of the people at Saturday's rally say on the one-year anniversary of Taylor's death, they are feeling a mix of emotions, including frustration, anger and sadness.
They say Taylor has not received justice and they won't stop speaking out until she does.
The protesters in New York joined thousands across the country to mark Taylor's death, many saying they want resources reallocated to Black and brown communities in need.
"Yes, we are out here for Breonna Taylor, but we are out here for Black liberation," protest organizer Nupol Kiazole said. "It's not rocket science. This system knows, this government knows that if you give people the resources they need to survive, we'll be able to sustain ourselves and not just survive but thrive."
Organizers say the anniversary is an opportunity to reflect about how Taylor's death helped bring racial injustices to the forefront this past year.
"It's just that touching tonight. It just feels, it feels unreal. Like, it's just emotional," said Saundrea Coleman, an organizer of UES for Black Lives Matter.
They say while Taylor's death was a tragedy, they won't let it be in vain.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.
