Rev. Al Sharpton called for a national march on Washington to be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, in response to the announcement that no criminal charges would be brought against the police officer who placed a chokehold on Eric Garner, a 43-year-old black man, leading to his death.
Protests spontaneously erupted around New York City Wednesday after news broke that the grand jury had decided not to indict the officer.
"It is time for a national march to deal with a national crisis," Sharpton said on Wednesday night, standing alongside Garner's widow, Esaw Garner, his mother, Gwen Carr, and other African American leaders. Sharpton called on the federal government to do an independent investigation into the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in Staten Island, and Tamir Rice in Cleveland.
"We are dealing with a national crisis," he said. "How many people have to die before people understand this is not an illusion? This is a reality that America has got to come to terms with."
Sharpton said civil rights organizations would begin planning the march immediately on Thursday morning.