LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The national social justice group Until Freedom is calling Louisville home for at least the next 30 days, helping protesters demand justice for Breonna Taylor.
Through music, speakers and chants, Until Freedom made its presence known during a rally Saturday afternoon at 11th and West Main streets, in front of a mural of Taylor, David McAtee and George Floyd.
During a series of speeches, Pastor Tim Findley, leader of the Justice and Freedom Coalition in Louisville, put the city on notice about hosting the 146th Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.
"There's nothing to celebrate this year in regards to Derby. We will not celebrate horses running around the track. We will not celebrate any kind of party," Findley said. "We are shutting everything down — from Churchill Downs to the airport to the hotels to the restaurants. No justice, no peace!"
Pastor Tim Findley, leader of the Justice and Freedom Coalition, speaks during a rally Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, in Louisville.
Until Freedom plans to be on the ground in Louisville for at least a month, but members said they could stay "longer, if needed."
"You are the epicenter and the ground zero for the conversation on racial justice and police brutality," the co-founder of Until Freedom, Linda Sarsour told the crowd. "Louisville is going to be a story in the history books, and we are here to make history with you."
Known for fighting against racial injustice, Until Freedom in July organized a sit-in on Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's front lawn in east Louisville. The demonstration ended with police making 87 arrests.
"We know that you are tired, and we want you to know that we are here to alleviate any of that exhaustion," Sarsour said. "We are here to inject whatever energy you need so the whole world turns their eyes to Louisville."
Michael Brown Sr., left, the father of Michael Brown, hugs Juniyah Palmer, Breonna Taylor's sister, during a rally Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, in Louisville.
The group was joined at the rally by Taylor's sister, Juniyah Palmer, and Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown, who was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014.
"A Black woman who has now become a martyr for this movement, she was murdered and she is now ground zero," said Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom. "If we don't fight for Breonna Taylor, we can't fight for anyone."
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