In the exact spot where Eric Garner was seen on camera being choked by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo, a 24-year-old Erica Garner lay down on the sidewalk surrounded by other protesters who want to see justice served in the death of yet another unarmed Black man.
Erica Garner is the daughter of the Staten Island father whose death has prompted a wave of protest. While Pantaleo choked him, Garner could be heard saying he couldn’t breathe at least 11 times.
Die-ins have been staged all across the country to protest police brutality and excessive use of force, but this is one was particularly important for the Staten Island community and Garner’s family.
Images of Eric Garner’s daughter lying down in front of the store on the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville where he was confronted by police have gone viral.
What the images didn’t capture was the march that took place before the die-in and the other protesters who joined Erica and got down on the sidewalk beside her.
The die-in was not massive in size but its impact was still meaningful as the Staten Island community surrounded a young woman who will be plagued with images of her father’s death circulating the web for the rest of her life.
The die-in marked the eighth consecutive day that protests and demonstrations have taken place across the globe following the deaths of Garner and unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, with both cases ending in non-indictments by grand juries.
Even London has had an active string of protests—a day before the die-in, protests in London led to the arrest of more than 75 people.
It’s just the latest example of a new generation of young protesters who have managed to mobilize through social media and join together to not only protest, but to demand change and have discussions about what steps need to be taken to bring real solutions to police brutality.
Earlier this week hundreds of medical students also came together after coordinating a nationwide die-in.
The hashtag #WhiteCoats4BlackLives helped the medical students learn of what protests were near them as they coordinated a successful effort that received national attention.
