PORTLAND, Maine — A familiar scene in downtown Portland on Saturday night, protestors taking to the streets to demand justice for victims of police brutality, and not only victims across the nation.
"For the victims of police brutality here in Maine," Black P.O.W.E.R. organizer Mariana Angelo said.
Black P.O.W.E.R. used to be called BLM Portland but recently changed its name to show they are black people who are part of this community.
"It stands for Black Portland Organizers Working to End Racism," Angelo said.
The protest began in Lincoln Park, then demonstrators walked around downtown Portland for about two hours before ending up at Deering Oaks Park. It was there where activists got up on stage to share their experiences with racial injustice
"It's rejuvenating," activist Mariam Beshir said.
She added, protesting is great, but it's not all that needs to be done.
"These protests need to be backed up by something, they need to be backed up by actual action," Beshir said.
She said that she's encouraging people who attend these events to go home and call local and state officials to try to make change here in Maine.
Organizers had planned for this protest to last seven hours, for the seven times Jacob Blake was shot by police in August in Wisconson.
The protest started to die down at about 8:30, at the five-hour mark. Angelo said when this group had its last protest it was scheduled for eight hours and she recognized it was challenging for some people then, too.