Stephon Clark rallies: Hundreds take to the streets in Sacramento to demand justice.

Hundreds of people got together in two separate rallies on Saturday to demand justice for Stephon Clark, the 22-year-old black man who was killed by two Sacramento police officers earlier this month. The demonstration took place shortly after an independent autopsy found that the officers shot Clark eight times, including six in the back. Former Sacramento Kings player Matt Barnes led the main protest in downtown Sacramento that included the presence of Clark’s fiancée and children.

Saturday at Noon! Let’s try & make a difference pic.twitter.com/UyIR0vyYeB

— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) March 30, 2018

“They killed Stephon Clark. They continue to kill us,” he told the crowd. “It’s more than color. It’s about wrong and right,” Barnes told the crowd. He called on police to get more involved in the neighborhoods. “Learn the community that you’re out here patrolling,” he said.

Matt Barnes speaking at a rally in Sacramento pic.twitter.com/JBpquLPWx3

— Dominique Walker (@DomoWalk) March 31, 2018

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Meanwhile, an already planned march to honor labor leader Cesar Chavez was modified to focus on Clark’s death as well. “Viva Cesar Chavez, Viva Stephon Clark!”shouted the protesters.

Hours before the Saturday demonstrations, protesters had already taken to the streets in a late Friday rally that went into the early morning hours. It marked the fourth straight night of peaceful protests to demand justice for Clark. Hundreds, including Barnes and civil rights activist Al Sharpton, attended Clark’s funeral on Thursday.

Calls for charges against two officers in the shooting of Stephon Clark are intensifying after autopsy contradicts police accounts https://t.co/GjftZXVuOo pic.twitter.com/y2XG4mejln

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 31, 2018

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a statement urging patience until the official autopsy is released. “We have an obligation to everyone involved, including the family of Stephon Clark, to wait for the full findings and results from the official autopsy and investigation,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “As the mayor of our city, I assure the community and the public that we will aggressively seek answers to all of the questions the community is rightfully asking. As important, we will aggressively seek appropriate change to the protocols and training that led to this unacceptable outcome.”

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