PHOENIX — A large group of people gathered near the steps of Phoenix City Hall Saturday. Some were in masks while others held signs up high. Their goal was to demand change following the release of video showing the beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis.
"No amount of police reform is going to fix this system," said Aldo Soveron. "We have to fix it ourselves."
The peaceful rally of nearly 100 people lasted a few hours and was one of several held across the United States.
"I saw nothing but a senseless and preventable death," said Soveron.
Soveron is a member of the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL). The group organized Saturday's rally in Phoenix, which was open to anyone interested in attending. Soveron said he watched the video with horror, and that it should affect everyone.
"We're all one people," he said. "Black, Latino, white, Asian, it's all one struggle."
Like so many others across the nation, Soveron is outraged, sad, and frustrated over Nichols death and hopes Saturday's rally will help spark a movement for change.
"We're not here to tear anything up," he said. "We're here to build a movement. Once we can unite, we can see the power we have together. It's not just for Tyre Nichols, but for police brutality which has been an issue in the United States since its inception."
Chants echoed the buildings surrounding the rally and signs were held for all to see. People also had the chance to share their thoughts and frustrations with the crowd, many thinking about the man who's life was cut tragically short.
"What I'll be thinking about is the stepfather that Tyre Nichols worked with," said Soveron. "His mother, his four-year-old son, his siblings. And I think about one day we'll be able to take the reigns and break our own shackles and create a better society where this will never happen again."
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