ReachNYC Digital

Shopping For Justice

An estimated 40,000 people participated in the Al Sharpton-led protest down Fifth Ave. on Saturday, December, 16th, to protest the fatal shooting of Sean Bell, by Police.

Bell's fiance, Nicoule Paultre-Bell and Trent Benefield, who was also shot and injured in the incident and is currently in a wheelchair, were joined by a swarm of people who gathered at 59th and Fifth Ave., at around noon. Minutes later they began counting to 50, which equals the number of bullets fired by police in the controversial shooting. After the countdown, the sea of people flowed south on Fifth Ave., towards 34th street. It felt as if there were as many shoppers as protestors, making it a serious situation for the more than 1,000 cops stationed en route.

People stopped everything they were doing and focused on the large crowd, even showing signs of support. Besides pushing and shoving, the march went without confrontation. I think Al Sharpton couldn't have delivered a stronger message if he'd Fed-Exed it to us. Other media outlets are calling Al Sharpton an "opportunist", but I don't see anyone else publicly speaking out and voicing the publics real opinion...besides us of course.

"Unless Santa Claus got some justice, we don't need Santa Claus."- Al Sharpton