Juneteenth and Black Lives Matter Rallies Planned for Miami and Fort Lauderdale

Nearly every day this month, protesters have poured into Miami streets demanding accountability for police officers who have killed black Americans.

The demonstrations have gone beyond calling attention to injustices in faraway cities – community organizers and protesters are demanding local changes, too, as Miami reckons with its own history of police abuses.

Protests and rallies continue tomorrow for Juneteenth, a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and into the weekend.

Here’s a roundup of some of the demonstrations happening in Miami and Fort Lauderdale this weekend.

Little Haiti

Konscious Kontractors, a group whose founder was severely beaten by Miami police in 2013, and other advocacy organizations are hosting a rally against police brutality and harassment Friday at 4:30 p.m. on the corner of North Miami Avenue and 62nd Street.

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#Repost @uhuru1804 ??? Demanding #Justice4Franc?ois and all viktims of police brutality in Miami Dade Kounty kontinues. The musikal band @raralakay will be marching with us as we celebrate Juneteenth. Meet us at the Toussaint Louverture Statue that sits on the Korner of N Miami Ave and 62nd Street, 4:30 pm. Pls Sign our Petition to demand #Justice4Franc?ois. Link in the BIO —————————————————#Justice4Franc?ois #Justice4Us #AfrikanLivesMatter #BLM #DoIHaveToDieBeforeIMatter #PoliceBrutality #ImNotResisting #BanExcessiveForce

A post shared by Konscious Kontractors Inc.™? (@kkontractors) on Jun 18, 2020 at 2:44pm PDT

Downtown Miami

305 Black Youth, a group supported by Miami Dream Defenders, is organizing a peaceful youth rally Friday at 2:30 p.m. at the Torch of Friendship, 301 Biscayne Blvd. The organizers ask participants to wear masks.

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The youth are our hope, they are showing us the way. We stand in solidarity with the leadership of our young revolutionaries in the black community, the guiding light to our liberation. Join the people in celebration and in struggle this Juneteenth at 2:30 pm. The organizers @305ourlivesmatteryouthrally ask that we wear red green and or black. Swipe to see our Covid 19 safety precautions and donation guidelines ??????????

A post shared by Dream Defenders Miami SquaDD (@miami_dreamdefenders) on Jun 17, 2020 at 3:01pm PDT

Liberty City

Several organizations are hosting a peace walk in Liberty City from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The walk starts on the corner of NW 62nd Street and 17th Avenue and ends at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

Unity in the Community Peace Walk this Saturday, June 20 between 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. starting from 62nd Street NW 17th Ave to Martin Luther King Park. pic.twitter.com/RuZMKwDt58

— Audrey M. Edmonson (@AudreyMEdmonson) June 15, 2020

Fort Lauderdale

Broward Dream Defenders, Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, and the Broward chapter of Democratic Socialists of America are organizing a Juneteenth rally on Friday at 3 p.m. at Huizenga Park, 32 E. Las Olas Blvd. A protest is also scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. at Huizenga Park.

??Join @BLM_Broward @browardsquadd and @browarddsa as we take the streets to honor Black freedom & Black resistance??????
*Masks required*#BLM #DreamDefenders #DSA pic.twitter.com/HU4R9E8mB8

— Broward Dream Defenders (@BrowardSquaDD) June 16, 2020

Miami Gardens

Faith in Florida is hosting statewide memorial services in honor of black Americans who’ve died at the hands of police. A Miami-Dade memorial service takes place at 6 p.m. Friday at NW 163rd Street and 38th Place.

Hallandale Beach

Faith in Florida is hosting statewide memorial services in honor of black Americans who’ve died at the hands of police. A Broward memorial service takes place tonight at 6:15 p.m. Friday at Ingalls Park, 735 SW First St.