VALDOSTA — Chanting “black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe,” several people protested Saturday in downtown against the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

About 50 protesters had gathered by 1 p.m. on the lawn of the historic Lowndes County Courthouse, waving signs and raising their voices in a cry for justice. Many passing motorists on Ashley Street honked their horns in support.

Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes despite Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” pleas. A video of his death quickly went viral. Four police officers were fired and one has been charged with murder.

Three nights of looting, rioting and fires followed Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, with demonstrations and violence spreading to other cities. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to quell violence in Atlanta Friday night, which included fires, shootings and the use of tear gas by police officers to break up crowds.

In comparison, the Valdosta protest was peaceful Saturday and there was no police presence visible.

“A couple (of police cars) drove by but they didn’t stop,” protestor Sharon Hayes of Valdosta said. 

She said no group was responsible for the Valdosta demonstration; it was planned Friday night when people started posting online and decided to gather together.

“We intend this as a non-violent protest,” she said. “It’s blacks and whites coming together because we were tired, because all lives matter.”

Floyd’s was not the only death being remembered during the protest. Several participants, including Hayes, carried signs calling for “Justice for KJ,” referring to Kendrick Johnson, a Lowndes High School student who died in a school gym in January 2013. Authorities ruled his death an accident, but his family has long claimed he was murdered.

Friday, before the Valdosta protest, Police Chief Leslie Manahan appeared in a video posted to the department’s Facebook page denouncing the actions seen in the Floyd video.

“No police department teaches the force that’s shown in that video,” she said.

The chief said it is important to remember that “we cannot condemn an entire profession based on the senseless actions of these individuals.”

Misconduct is not tolerated in the Valdosta Police Department, Manahan said.

“I will be the first to tell you that we investigate all allegations of use of force with our officers,” she said.

The Valdosta protest was still happening at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.