FORT MYERS, FL. — Protests continue across the country, calling for change and justice following the death of George Floyd, the man who died while in Minneapolis police custody.
In Southwest Florida, demonstrators gathered outside the U.S Federal Courthouse in Fort Myers in a peaceful protest Monday.
Demonstrators calling for justice to be served for George Floyd and for policy changes in law enforcement.
"Lynching has been going on in our communities amongst African Americans for far too long, and it has to stop," said James Muwakkil, president of the NAACP Lee County Chapter.
The peaceful protest was organized by the NAACP of Lee County — calling for justice, equality, and policy reform.
"As a country, we can do some things together, and some of those things are looking at excessive force or use of force, policies that allow the knee hold, the chokehold — take them out," said Muwakkil.
But Muwakkill says it needs to be as one collective community — a sentiment shared by demonstrators at Monday's protest.
"It's not just a black problem when something happens in a black community, or against a black person," said one demonstrator.
Monday's protest was similar to the demonstrations we saw over the weekend.
"Saturday, during the first march, we had a third African, a third Latino, and a third European Americans," said Lodovic Kimble, former Lee County NAACP president.
One thing organizers made clear Monday was their wish for it to remain peaceful.
"Let's have one voice, but that voice can't be a voice of violence, it can't be a voice of looting, or lawlessness, it has to be a voice of unity, said Muwakkil.
NAACP of Lee County invited multiple law enforcement agencies to speak at the protest.
"We fully support your first amendment right, and that is to protest peacefully," said Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Law enforcement encouraging demonstrators to remain peaceful.
"Don't let the message that you're trying to communicate out there get taken off course by some individuals that to resort to violence and destructive behavior, "said Chief Derrick Diggs, Fort Myers Police Department.
Demonstrators say getting fair treatment should not be a privilege, but a right for all.
"I have a black male child, I have two daughters, and the fact that we wear this skin color it's something we were born with, not something we can take off like this mask," said Stephanie House.
House is a veteran, having served in the U.S Army for 30 years.
"It's unfortunate that I have to do this, we're human beings, we should not be treated differently than anybody else," said House.
The NAACP of Lee County will be holding another peaceful protest Tuesday, June 2, outside the U.S Federal Court in Fort Myers at noon.
