Alexandria Police Stand with Demonstrators at #EndWhiteSilence Vigil

Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown joined demonstrators on Tuesday night as they chanted “Black lives matter” outside the city’s police headquarters on Tuesday night.

“We’re here today because we are in grief,” a protestor said. “We are grieving for the many, many black people who are killed because of racist police violence.”

Brown has been participating in a number of forums and recently wrote an open letter to the community on the death of George Floyd. The scene lasted for more than an hour.

“Even as good as we think we are, we know we can always improve and there are some things we learn from this through listening,” Brown told ALXnow.

Former Mayor Bill Euille said that the city has come a long way, but that there is still more work to do.

“We’ve progressed, but there’s always opportunities to continue the fight the battle,” Euille said. “It takes a whole community to be engaged and involved, and we just have to keep the dialogue going. A movement like this is a good strong signal that we’re moving in the right direction. Large numbers of concerned citizens make a difference. And that’s why it’s so important for folks to be engaged in the voting process and electing the right leaders. ”

There was also a demonstration at the Southern Towers apartment complex on Wednesday morning. The  demonstration was initially about rent, but due to circumstances around the country was switched to focus on police inequality.

“The lives that have been lost are important. Our lives and George Floyd’s life matter, and that’s why we’re here today,” Josh Armistead, vice president of the Unite Here local 23 union. “Black lives matter, and workers’ and labor rights matter.”

Staff photos by James Cullum