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Black Firefighters March Against Police Brutality

cafa protest
Jason Whitman
/
WVXU
Cincinnati African American Firefighters Association President William West raises his fist at the steps of City Hall.

Men and women in the Cincinnati African American Firefighters Association marched from City Hall to the Hamilton County Courthouse Wednesday night in an effort to bring attention to police brutality against black communities. 

"We are angry that despite many attempts at police reforms police brutality incidents continue to plague the African American community," a release announcing the event reads. "We are angry as firefighters and EMTs that law enforcement continues to fail to meet the moral standard that we as public safety officials are sworn to uphold. We are angry that systemic racism continues to exist in the public safety system." 

William West, president of the CAFA, told WVXU the organization was inspired by the civil unrest in response to the murder of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died while in police custody on May 25. 

cafa protest
Credit Jason Whitman / WVXU
/
WVXU
Members of the Cincinnati African American Firefighters Association gathered at City Hall and marched to the Hamilton County Courthouse to protest the murder of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in Cincinnati.

"That's actually what inspired us to do this and we feel that this is an opportunity that everyone in our community, across the world, has had an opportunity to speak and voice their opinion and be heard that this is wrong, and it continues to happen," West said. "We have to do something about it."

The group headed east on Court Street toward the courthouse chanting Floyd's name and "black lives matter."

Demonstrators then held a moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that then-Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck while Floyd repeatedly said, "I can't breathe." Chauvin now faces charges of second-degree murder. 

"Things of this nature, it happens continuously for a reason," West told WVXU earlier in the day. "And my thoughts on this specific subject is that it happens because we as African Americans, we kind of downplay our power, our voting power. That's how we start to make change."

Change starts with each and every individual, he added. 

cafa protest
Credit Jason Whitman / WVXU
/
WVXU
Demonstrators hold their fists in the air while taking a knee during 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence honoring George Floyd.

"Right now, we have to hold these people accountable," West said Wednesday evening outside the courthouse as the peaceful protest came to an end. "We gotta get people in these positions that think and believe like we do. The time for change is now. Right now."

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.
Jennifer Merritt brings 20 years of "tra-digital" journalism experience to WVXU.