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Atlanta Protesters Want Wendy’s Where Rayshard Brooks Died To Become Peace Center

Marchers want to change location of violent death to place of community healing.

Demonstrators in Atlanta showed up at the burned down Wendy’s restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was killed in June to call for the location to be turned into a peace center.

The Saturday (July 11) event, called “Take Back the Wendy’s” began at the city’s Community Movement Builders Center and brought out about 100 people who then marched to the destroyed fast food spot, according to WSB-TV

“We want to make sure this is recognized as a community space, a community peace center, and not controlled by outside forces. And outside forces include the government,” community organizer Jamal Taylor said, according to WSB-TV. “That it’s for and maintained by the community.

At the rally, people also called for arrests to be made in the death of Secoria Turner, the 8-year-old girl who was shot to death July 4 across the street from the Wendy’s.

“Black lives matter, so we hate to see any type of violence,” said Taylor said. “I think it’s important to note that was not done by anyone here because the peace center has always been about peace.”

Brooks was killed June 12 in an altercation with Atlanta police as an officer attempted to arrest him after he had fallen asleep in the drive-thru. Leonard Dungee, an Atlanta activist told WSB-TV that the group wants to turn the space where such a violent incident took place into a place for healing. He said that financing has been secured to buy the property and create the center the group envisions.

“I’m here to attest that this is a peaceful group of people. They are not here to randomly shoot at people,” Dungee said about the demonstrators.

BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here.

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