DES MOINES, Iowa — A crowd of around 1,000 protesters marched to the governor's mansion in Des Moines Tuesday night for the Black Lives Matter movement and in the wake of the recent killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
The protestors were met by a large showing of law enforcement surrounding the grounds.
One of the main acts protesters wanted from law enforcement Tuesday night was for them to drop their riot shields and armor and drop their weapons, to show that they truly mean no harm and show unity.
"All we asked tonight is that they put down their shields, look us in the eye man-to-man, woman-to-woman," said Billy Weathers, one of the protest organizers. "We are all the same people at the end of the day."
A few of the protest leaders had conversations with law enforcement, including one who went up and shook hands with every officer present.
Tuesday marked the fifth night in a row of protests in the capital city.