Philly students, teachers call for cutting school police, adding social workers

Hundreds of Philadelphia students and teachers took to the streets of Center City on Sunday to demand racial justice reform in the city’s schools. 

The event, called "Philly Educators and Students March for Black Lives," was put together by a number of local activist groups, including Black Lives Matter Philly.

Protesters held signs, chanted and played music as they marched from City Hall to the School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters on North Broad Street, calling for educational justice for Black and Brown students.

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Several speakers, including students, teachers, rally organizers and elected officials, addressed the crowd of protesters at City Hall and upon arrival to the school district’s headquarters.

The protesters issued 10 demands for "radical education transformation," including the development of protections for students and teachers who experience racism, eliminating school police, increased funding for school counselors and social workers, and mandating anti-racist training for all teachers. 

Here are some scenes from Sunday’s demonstration.

Protests calling out racism and police brutality have taken place regularly across Philadelphia in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Floyd, a Black man, was killed on May 25 by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as three other police officers watched. All four police officers have been fired from the Minneapolis department. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. The other officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder.