Seven people were arrested at a demonstration in downtown Phoenix over the weekend. Hundreds of people attended a march for Breonna Taylor and Dion Johnson on Saturday.
Phoenix police say demonstrators blocked roadways and major intersections, and refused repeated verbal warnings to stay out of the street.
A police spokesperson said seven people were arrested Saturday on charges ranging from obstructing a public thoroughfare to aggravated assault on a police officer.
But Phoenix Metro Black Lives Matter organizer Jamaar Williams says the police have been specifically targeting the leaders of the demonstrations.
"They’ll let an action happen and then after the action, they’ll follow people who are just trying to leave," Williams said. "Who they’ve told, hey its time to leave — they’ll target those people, follow them and try to arrest them."
Wiliams says he believes police are trying to intimidate and suppress the organizers because they are challenging their authority.
