Thousands marched through Staten Island Saturday to protest the death of an African American man who died after being put in a chokehold by police.
Last month, Eric Garner, a father of six who also had asthma, was taken down by police on a city sidewalk while onlookers watched and documented. Police say they believed he was selling loose cigarettes.
On Thursday, the city medical examiner ruled that Garner's death was caused by compression of the neck and chest.
Since the incident, activists have been calling for charges to be brought against the officers involved as many believe Garner was discriminated against because of his race. Its also worth noting the NYPD has a policy against choking suspects.
Reverend Al Sharpton along with Garner's family led Saturday's protestors in a march across the city.
Sharpton: "This is the widow and mother of Eric Garner and their children and their family. We are here for them."
Police were present at the march but did not come with riot gear. It was a far cry from the heavy handed response to protests seen in Ferguson, Missouri.
After a Ferguson officer killed an unarmed black teen, the protests in Missouri have to some extent overshadowed media coverage of Garner's death in the last two weeks.
But on Saturday, protesters supporting Garner seemed to want to show they're dealing with the same issues — namely, police aggression and racial discrimination. They borrowed some Ferguson phrases, like "hands up, don't shoot" in their protests.
An estimated 2,500 protesters took part in Saturday's Staten Island march.
