Americas

Young Black Lives Matter protesters: 'Enough is enough'

  • Four teens, one holding a Black Lives Matter sign, in Washington DC (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Nathan (16), Sammy (17), Matthew (15), Noel (18)

    These schoolboys are taking part in a "big movement," as Noel puts it, for the first time. Noel adds: "The last time we were just a bit too young. But now that we're old enough to understand what's happening, we're out here just doing what we can for the community." Sammy says: "We want to make America a better place for black people."

  • Protesters in Washington DC hold up signs reading Black Lives Matter and police the police (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Celeste, 21

    "Black lives matter," the student chants, adding "they really don't matter here." Celeste demands more stringent checks on police officers. Her complaint does not just refer to the killing of George Floyd, however: "Protesters have been treated terribly, it's police brutality."

  • A young woman sits on the street in front of a row of police (DW/C. Bleiker.)

    Deborah, 18

    "I want justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and everyone killed by police every day. There is no accountability, nothing happens," the schoolgirl says. But will she and her fellow protesters be able to bring about change? "We have to! We have no other choice."

  • Two women, one wearing a t-shirt reading deport racists, join protests against police brutality in Washington DC (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Addie (23), Mary (24)

    "We promote human rights across the globe, but I think that we're not capable of promoting human rights across the globe as a country when we have so many human rights violations of our own in our own country," says Addie, who works for a think tank. "It's not enough to be neutral," legal trainee Mary adds: "Silence is betrayal."

  • A young woman holds up a sign reading This is genocide at a Washington DC protest (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Mya, 21

    "This form of oppression, the killing of black people, has been happening in our society for over 400 years. Enough is enough. We are tired," the student says. "But we were tired when Trayvon Martin happened, when Eric Garner happened. I'm 21, I'm finally at the age where I can get involved. I've got to make it count."

  • Protesters congregate in Washington DC (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Kayla, 21

    "History is repeating itself. So it's time for a change," the student says. "I feel like we deserve our say now. We've waited long enough. I don't feel like the military should be involved. If anything, the government should be doing something to make us feel more safe, not us having to go and do it ourselves."

  • A protester in Washington DC holds a sign that reads No justice, no peace (DW/C. Bleiker)

    Bryan, 25

    "I'm tired of the systematic racism, the oppression. I'm tired of seeing my people die. I'm just sick of it," says the student tearfully. Bryan, who also has a part-time job at the House of Representatives, adds: "The first thing is to get Trump out of office. There's no reason why a president should be promoting the violence and the destruction and the killings of his own citizens."


Since last week's killing of George Floyd, a black man, cities across the US have seen ongoing protests against police brutality. Many young people are among the demonstrators in Washington D.C., and they want justice.

  • Date 05.06.2020
  • Author Carla Bleiker (Washington, D.C.)