Protesters in Memphis cheered as they learned that the city of Memphis had disbanded its SCORPION Unit, a police unit that contained the officers who beat, pepper sprayed and tased Tyre Nichols three days before his Jan. 10 death.
The protest, one of two Saturday afternoon, came a day after video was released of the brutal beating of Nichols.
Demonstrators walked through downtown streets, beginning and ending in front of the city's public safety building.
There, Dedrick Davis played "We Shall Overcome" on his trumpet.
"We're dying out here," Davis said. "I'm hoping things like this can get people to move past hatred. We have to move past our past and try to embrace each other."
Around 100 protesters - and media from across the United States - attended that protest.
Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley, one of two councilmen at the protest, said it was important for people who have seen the video to take time to care for themselves.
"Take a mental break from this, because we need each and every person energized going forward so that we can collectively as a people can create change in the city of Memphis," Smiley said.
Demands of the protesters include that the city name all officers present at the scene, including an officer who can be seen in body camera firing a Taser toward Nichols, and release their personnel files. They also demanded that the city end pretextual traffic stops and cease the use of unmarked cars and plain clothes officers.
Just a few miles away, a group of about 30 gathered at the I Am a Man Plaza, led by activist Devante Hill.
Hill praised the swift firing of the five Memphis police officers, saying, "We've never seen a police director and a mayor and a city council side with a victim in such a swift way."
Hill was on the city's board to seek a new police chief that elected Davis.
The death of Nichols remains under investigation and has led to the firing, arrests and indictments of five Memphis police officers. Those officers have been charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression, court records show.
However, the video released Friday night shows that other officers were present on the scene of Nichols' beating.
Two members of the Memphis Fire Department have been relieved of duty for their involvement in the traffic stop, as have two deputies from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office seen in the video.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has said that bringing charges against the five officers does not preclude him from being additional charges against others who may have been involved.
Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis protesters name demands after release of Tyre Nichols video
