Thread by @mareevs

“I’m really proud of this event. This is all about community. We put this together in less than a week. To me, that’s pretty special,” says Jake geffon, a 19yo protest organizer. @TB_Times

The march is about to take off. It’s going to head south on 4th St and stop at the Central Ave intersection @TB_Times

On the move for the St. Pete night protest. A woman in front of me just turned to her friend and said, “This is the most people I’ve ever seen.” Definitely the most I’ve seen at a march. @TB_Times

“No justice,” the group chants. “No peace.”

Marchers are turning onto Central Avenue. “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA.”

These people started cheering outside Il Ritorno. The group responds, “march with us.” @TB_Times

The march just passed Acropolis Greek restaurant. A diner turned to a waiter and said, “Does this happen every day?”

“Every day.” @TB_Times

More “march with us” chants while passing The Lure and other restaurants on Central.

Some diners are interested. Some aren’t. @TB_Times

We’re in the Edge District now, nearing the roundabout at Central and 11th St. @TB_Times

“HANDS UP,” the group chants. “DONT SHOOT.” @TB_Times

The group is stopped, sitting in a circle at the roundabout. Terron is telling everyone to take a moment of silence, but the cars following keep honking. @TB_Times

Sort of unclear what’s happening. Here’s some signs and shirts I’m seeing while we’re stopped. @TB_Times

“You get to sit down. #GeorgeFloyd had to lay down, on the hot ground in the middle of the day,” Terron says.

He forgot the megaphone, so that’s why I hadn’t heard that he told the group to sit in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, how long Floyd was held down. @TB_Times

“Sorry that we have to stop up traffic ... but this is what we have to do until we stop the senseless violence and the senseless murder and the police brutality,” he says. @TB_Times

Terron is walking around so people on different sides of the roundabout can hear him, so I’m not sure what he’s saying now.

He told me earlier that someone is bringing a megaphone soon. @TB_Times

Terron has a microphone and a box speaker now. He’s asked everyone to put both fists in the air. @TB_Times

Terron is talking about how protesting gets tiring. People have families and responsibilities, he says. But so does he and he goes out every day. “We’re got to march. We’ve got to NBC onto her to fight until we see justice. Until we see community development.” @TB_Times

“There’s no reason all of us are here today and only 12 of us are marching on a Monday. I know Monday sucks for everybody. But it sucks for the families who have lost loved ones” due to police brutality. @TB_Times

Don’t wait til it happens to your family to get out here,” Terron adds. “We’re all family.”

He tells people, “forget what your parents taught you.” People out here are old enough to make their own choices, he says. @TB_Times

No more microphone, so it’s hard to hear. But Terron is challenging people to “tell somebody that you love them. Not mom and dad. Somebody different.” @TB_Times

Someone on my side of the circle asked people around them what Terron is saying. “Love thy neighbor,” a man shouted. @TB_Times

This sign: “Who do you call when a murderer wears a badge?” @TB_Times

“This is a movement, not a moment,” Terron says. “Don’t get discouraged because it’s not moving as fast as you want it to be.” @TB_Times

Alright, we’re moving again. West on Central. There’s a drum and a microphone now, so things feel more like the normal marches. @TB_Times

This thing keeps happening where people countdown from 10 and then scream at the top of their lungs. @TB_Times

“Whose streets? Our streets.”

“Whose city? Our city.”

“Whose country? Our country.” @TB_Times

Will Breeze is leading chants from a megaphone. Can hear him loud and clear: “Don’t arrest me. Arrest the police. ... You might not like me bc of the color of my skin, but don arrest me.” @TB_Times

I feel a dance party coming on. We’re at the intersection of 16th St S and 1st Ave S. @TB_Times

Here’s Terron Gland, head organizer. He’s on top of a car, dancing along to the chant “defund the police.” @TB_Times

People are ENERGIZED tonight. @TB_Times

These guys were dancing in time with a car honking as the group moves south on 16th St. @TB_Times

It’s so loud under this overpass that I have chills on my forearms. Wait for the guy who passes by on skateboard with his mouth wide open, screaming. @TB_Times

And it got even louder.

Now, the group is approaching 7th Ave S on 16th. “No justice. No peace.” Some are saying sleep instead of peace. @TB_Times

This is Taliyah Clark, an 18yo from Clearwater. @TB_Times

“We deserve peace,” the group chants. Almost to 18th Ave. S, where I believe we will turn east. @TB_Times

A man on the porch of this house/business just lit a firework. The crowd loved it. @TB_Times

The group is completely filling the roadway. Pretty confident this is the largest protest I’ve covered in St. Pete. And marchers aren’t losing any energy, it seems. @TB_Times

Here’s 15yo Isaac Harris on the megaphone. He’s risen up as one of the younger protest leaders. @kathrynvarn wrote about him here: google.com/amp/s/www.tamp… @TB_Times

We’re stopped at 18th Ave S and 16th St S. Will Breeze is speaking. He’s telling people they’ve gotta keep coming out. “Did Martin Lither King stay home?” @TB_Times

This is Breeze’s biggest pitch every march. He’s always pushing people to keep turning out. He tells them it’s the only way to make change. @TB_Times

This man spoke for a few minutes. I didn’t catch it in the video but he said cops are supposed to protect and serve but “who are they serving? ... I don’t feel protected.” He says police target minority communities. @TB_Times

Y’all ....... meet Jett, one of many cutie pups out tonight. @TB_Times

We just had a minute of silence for Tyron Lewis, an 18yo unarmed black man who was shot by police near this intersection in 1996. @TB_Times

Terron is talking about black people being “used and abused.” He says people who take pictures and video when the group passes by need to get up and join them.

“March with us because we’re marching for all of us.” @TB_Times

“Our families are getting killed. What are we doing about it? I’m talking to black people right now. Are we marching? ... are you out here trying to get town meetings on the south side of St. Pete?” @TB_Times

Terron says he’s looking at people sitting on the sidelines. “It hurts me.” He’s talking time people on the sidewalk outside Salem’s fast food restaurant. Unclear if they are with the march or not @TB_Times

Terron says this group has power. “But we need more black power.” He says people need to “use your voice” to say black lives matter. “Get our in these streets and make sure that your life matters.” @TB_Times

He says there have been 43 marches over 21 days. Most of the people that come aren’t black, he says. Other races are “fighting for our lives so why aren’t we fighting for our own lives?” @TB_Times

A verbal fight has started. A woman in the crowd is yelling but refusing to take the megaphone, so I can’t totally hear. She says Terron is “putting his people down” by saying not enough black people are here. @TB_Times

She said she’s glad white people are here. Terron said he agrees with her and they’re saying the same thing. She’s still yelling and Terron has walked away. Will Breeze took the mic. “This is about equality,” he says. @TB_Times

“It’s all about unity,” he said. “Together, together. Super glue that thing.” ... he says at the end of the day, “We are walking together, y’all.” @TB_Times

“How many of y’all are vegans?” Will Breeze asks the group. “I love meat but I love vegans too.” @TB_Times

The group just counted down from 10 again and yelled, and now we’re headed east on 18th Ave S. “Whose lives matter? Black lives matter.” @TB_Times

People have fallen off at some other marches. But this group has remained pretty much the same size since the start. @TB_Times

We’re turning north onto MLK St. If we follow the same pattern as other marches, we’ll go up to Central Avenue and then east to the waterfront. @TB_Times

Lots of extra cars this time around too. @TB_Times

Marchers are filling the entire roadway. @TB_Times

Bringing you to the center of the action. Will Breeze is on the microphone again. @TB_Times

New chant: “No Trump, no KKK, no racist #TampaBay.” @TB_Times

The group starts quiet, some crouching. “If we don’t get no justice, you don’t get no sleep.” Then they get loud. @TB_Times

“March with us,” protesters shout outside the Hermitage luxury apartment building. Some people are watching from their balconies. @TB_Times

We’re crossing over 1st Ave S. @TB_Times

Turning east onto Central Avenue. There are horns honking, drums beating, engines revving and people cheering. @TB_Times

Here’s the scene on Central Ave, just west of 6th Street. @TB_Times

We sailed through 5th St, the rainbow intersection, where the group normally stopped to kneel and talk. Headed to Beach Drive. @TB_Times

The march paused briefly at 4th Street for people to chant: “Hands up. Don’t shoot.” @TB_Times

Here’s the group coming into the 200 block of Central, where people are dining and drinking. Lots of support from observers. @TB_Times

Will Breeze is on the mic. He’s telling people the group passes that “this isn’t a private group ... it’s a public invitation.”

“March with us,” the group chants. We’re a block from a beach drive and someone is screaming: “everyone needs to hear us.” @TB_Times

“Silence is compliance,” the group chants as we pass Ceviche restaurant and bar. People on the balcony are holding up their phones to record. “Put your camera down and raise a fist,” a protester yells. @TB_Times

Another scene from Central Avenue tonight. @TB_Times

Lots of support along Beach near Flute and Dram and Tryst. @TB_Times

Some women dance along with the beat outside Tryst bar. @TB_Times

The group is camped out here in the street outside the Musuem of Fine Arts. People are hype. “What do we want? Justice. We declare: Justice. We demand: Justice. If we don’t get it, shut it down.” @TB_Times

Terron Gland is in the center of the crowd with a megaphone. He had been wearing a tan suit, but now he’s in a white tee that says “I can’t breathe.” @TB_Times

Terron asks the women in the group to chant with him. @TB_Times

We turned west onto 5th Ave NE. I believe we are headed back to Williams Park to wrap up the march. @TB_Times

We’ve been about 7 miles so far and I gotta say, I’m losing steam. The group has definitely lost some people since we got back into downtown. There’s maybe 100 left and they are still pretty energized. @TB_Times

Heading south on 4th Street. “Black lives matter,” the group chants. @TB_Times

Almost to City Hall. The group counts down from 10 again and screams. @TB_Times

Alright, that’s it for tonight. Thanks for following @TB_Times!