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Over
a hundred US congressional staffers have walked out over the grand juries’
decisions not to indict white police officers in the killings of unarmed black
men.
RT.com reports during the demonstration, African-American members of the Congress held a
prayer service on the steps of the US Capitol, and raised their hands in a
‘Don’t shoot’ gesture in solidarity with protesters across the country, Reuters
reported.
The
walk-out was led by Senate Chaplain Barry Black.
He
described the action as a “voice
for the voiceless.”
“Today
as people throughout the nation protest for justice in our land, forgive us
when we have failed to lift our voices for those who couldn’t speak or breathe
for themselves,” he said.
“May
we not forget that in our national history injustice has often been maintained
because good people failed to promptly act. Lord, comfort those who mourn, who
know the pain of loss, the anguish of grief and the futility of despair,”
he prayed.
This latest protest follows a series of rallies across the country on
Wednesday, with some turning violent.
In
California’s San Francisco Bay Area, police fired tear gas and used pepper
spray to crack down on crowds.
Oakland
and neighboring Berkeley, California, have witnessed protests every night over
the week. Looting was reported in Berkeley, with windows broken at a T-Mobile
store and a Chase bank branch, city authorities said.
A Reuters photographer also
saw an alleged undercover police officer, who pointed a pistol at demonstrators
when he and another demonstrator were attacked. Following the incident, around
20 police officers arrived at the scene and arrested one of the protesters.
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