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Protesters march in downtown Louisville with focus on taking movement to the 'next level'

"What peace means is police accountability. We want police to stop abusing us," State Rep. Attica Scott said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Marching two miles from Jefferson Square Park to the Smoketown neighborhood, a group of protesters took to the streets Thursday afternoon. 

"We are going there because we know that's where the Ali peace symbols are," State Representative Attica Scott, (D-41) said. 

Scott was one of the organizers of Thursday's action, with a march to the Muhammad Ali monument in Smoketown, symbolizing to the group their call for peace.

"What peace means is police accountability. We want police to stop abusing us," Scott said. 

Thursday's action was in honor of Breonna Taylor and in solidarity with others across the country who have lost their lives to police brutality. Thursday marked the annual National Day of Protest.

"Every march, big or small, every rally, big or small, sends a strong message that this movement is sustained. Going on almost 150 days of justice for Breonna Taylor," Scott said. 

As the group marched, they also had a focus on Metro Council, as the use of force ordinance was set to be debated and voted on Thursday evening. 

"We need the laws behind our fists in the air," Shameka Parrish- Wright, Co-chair, Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said in support of the ordinance. "That protects them as well as us, as the community. We have to take our power back from the police."

Parrish-Wright, also an organizer of Thursday's march, says their protests are focusing now on public policy, with the hopes of  local, city and state leaders taking action on legislation like the proposed statewide Breonna's Law, banning no-knock search warrants.

"That's the next level of our protest is to get this law passed across this state because every 120 county that we are in are dealing with no knock warrants," Parrish-Wright said. 

"It's the people that get Metro Council to move. It's the people that get the state representatives and state senators to move," Scott added. 

Representative Scott said the momentum of the movement will continue even into the colder months in Louisville.

Metro Council passed the 'use of force; ordinance Thursday night in a 15 to 10 vote. It places limitations on LMPD policies. 

"I'm proud of Louisville Metro Council for taking our power back from LMPD, Parrish-Wright said. 

"While the ordinance is important and I applaud the power of the people to push for this codification, we still need to address the militarization of LMPD, Scott said. 

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