Protesters against police violence march peacefully on Strip

A group of about 100 people carrying signs bearing the names of black men killed by police demonstrated peacefully Sunday night in front of the Bellagio.

Demonstrators in the loosely formed group gathered at about 9 p.m. in front of the Bellagio fountains and later marched south on the Strip toward Aria before looping back toward Bellagio.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department monitored the protest, Metro Lt. David Gordon said Sunday night.

“There have not been any reported problems or disturbances,” Gordon said.

Katie Light, who, along with her son, helped organize the demonstration via Facebook and word-of-mouth, said protests in Las Vegas tend to be smaller than protests in other cities.

“Vegas is a little bit weird. Even with a small voice, there are people here from all over the country,” said Light, a history teacher who works for Teach for America. So, she added, “It’s a smaller voice, but it’s being heard all over the country.”

One demonstrator, Jamaal Gross, summed up the group’s goals this way: “We’re just trying to live. We’re just trying to be free. We’re just trying to have equality,” he said. “People seem to think we’re a hate group — that’s not us.”

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find @MaxMichor on Twitter.