Philadelphia police arrested several demonstrators Wednesday night as they marched in Center City to protest Tuesday's fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge.
The protest, organized on Facebook, called for a gathering at 13th and Market streets to demand justice in the shooting of 37-year-old Sterling, who was confronted by police after he allegedly threatened a man with a gun outside of a convenience store.
"Clearly its REVOLUTION time," the event organizers said. "Business as usual will not suffice. We will remind folks that another Black body has hit the ground and that [we] are mobilizing. Tonight we SHUT PHILLY DOWN. Bring your rage, your sadness, your grief, your voices...see you there and share this event widely. In Solidarity and Liberation!"
According to NBC10, police moved to arrest several protesters who disrupted rush hour traffic at various points in Center City. One group was arrested for blocking I-676 by holding hands and lying on the pavement.
Outrage over Sterling's death spread after a 48-second cellphone video was released online, followed by a 38-second video recorded by a second bystander. Both officers, four-year veteran Blane Salamoni and three-year officer Howie Lake II, have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
At an emotional press conference on Wednesday, Quinyetta McMillon vowed to be vigilant about Sterling's death for the sake of his family and five children.
"I, for one, will not rest and will allow him to be swept in the dirt until the adequate punishment is served to all parties involved," McMillon said.
Sterling, known locally as the "CD Man," frequently sold music and DVDs outside Triple S Food Mart with permission from owner Abdullah Muflahi, according to CNN. Muflahi said he had never seen Sterling involved in an altercation prior to Tuesday. The officers, he said, used a stun gun on Sterling before fatally shooting him in the back and later removing a firearm from his pocket.
Before the case was turned over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office, both police officers involved in the shooting told the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney that they believe their actions were wholly justified under the circumstances.
Charges against the protesters in Philadelphia, where recent legislation authorized civil fines in lieu of criminal arrests for many nuisance crimes, have not yet been announced.