As protests over George Floyd's death continue to rage, police in some cities have turned up to demonstrate in solidarity

Tyler Sonnemaker

Jun 1, 2020, 11:50 IST

As protests over George Floyd's death continue to rage, police in some cities have turned up to demonstrate in solidarity

Protests in Atlanta, Georgia, over the death of George Floyd.Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

As demonstrations continue to escalate across the US over the death of George Floyd, police in several cities were seen marching alongside protesters in a display of solidarity.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields spoke to protesters on Friday and assured them that their feelings were valid.
In Dallas, police chief Reneé Hall spoke directly with a protester, urging him to remain peaceful during clashes with police.
And in New Jersey, several police officers marched alongside protesters carrying a sign that read "standing in solidarity."

As demonstrations escalate across the US over the death of George Floyd, police in several cities were seen marching alongside protesters in a display of solidarity.

Protests first erupted in Minneapolis this week after Floyd, a black man, was knelt on by a white police officer for eight minutes. The incident was captured on video and has prompted protests across the country.

While police in some states have used pepper spray, rubber bullets, and even their own cruisers as weapons during the intensifying protests, other officers have taken a different approach to level with protesters.

On Friday, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields spoke directly to protesters and assured them that their anger was valid.

Video posted to Twitter showed Shields listening to a protester relay that she was terrified of the police presence.

"You have a right to be upset to be scared, and to want to yell," Shields said.

—AJ+ (@ajplus) May 30, 2020

Shields has also publicly spoken out about Floyd's death and how the officers involved in the incident "fundamentally failed as human beings."

"How disconnected does law enforcement have to be in order for a man to be suffocated by a cop in broad daylight, knowing the camera was rolling, knowing that fellow officers were standing around watching," Shields said in a video posted to Facebook.

"These officers didn't just fail as cops, they fundamentally failed as human beings," she added.

In Dallas, police chief Reneé Hall spoke directly with a protester, urging him to remain peaceful during clashes with police.

—Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 30, 2020

In Houston, Police Chief Art Acevedo got emotional as he expressed his own frustrations about Floyd's killing and the treatment of minorities in America. Acevedo told protesters that he's tired of hearing people of color and immigrants being called "thugs," "bums", and "racists."

"You know what? We built his country ... We ain't going nowhere, this ship has sailed. So if you've got hate in your heart for people of color, get over it," Acevedo told a group of protestors. "Because this city is a minority-majority city, and this city is a city where blacks and whites and browns and legals and illegals all get together, because we judge each other by the content of our hearts."

Acevedo warned demonstrators to resist the urge to join in if outsiders turn peaceful protests into violence.

"Pay close attention because these little white guys on the skateboards are the ones who are starting all the s***," he said. "Dont follow that bulls*** because that's the devil's work."