Five thousand people are expected to attend the "We Will Not Go Back" march on Staten Island on Saturday to call for justice for Eric Garner, who died after being put in an illegal chokehold while being arrested by a New York City police officer.
Joining them will be Rev. Al Sharpton, former Gov. David Patterson, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the families of both Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the teenager killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri earlier this month.
Justice Caravans will bring attendees from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Brooklyn.
The march on Saturday, Aug. 23 is being organized by the National Action Network, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, The United Federation of Teachers, and the NAACP. The march is endorsed by hundreds of organization, including the New York Civil Liberties Union and Communities United for Police Reform.
"Our message is simple: New York City can and must be a place where the police protect both safety and individual rights. Only when the NYPD has become a police force that all New Yorkers trust and respect can we finally close the book on the tale of two cities," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of NYCLU.
The march begins at noon from the site of Garner's killing at the intersection of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, continues past the offices of the Staten Island District Attorney, and concludes at Richmond Terrace and Hamilton Avenue, where a stage and podium will be set up for an unannounced roster speakers.
Garner, a 43-year-old father of six, died after being placed in a chokehold by police who were trying to arrest him for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. Police originally said Garner died of cardiac arrest, but a cellphone video of the incident shows an officer, Daniel Pantaleo, placing his arm around Garner's neck and then taking him to the ground after Garner refused to be handcuffed. Garner, who weighed at least 350 pounds and suffered from asthma, is heard saying repeatedly in the video, "I can't breathe."
The medical examiner's office ruled Garner's death a homicide caused by the officer's chokehold as well chest and neck compressions and prone positioning "during physical restraint by police."
There have been repeated calls for Donovan to make charges and requests for the case to be handled by a state prosecutor and for the Justice Department to intervene. "The Justice Department has signaled that it will likely wait for the local probe to conclude before making a decision," according to the Associated Press.
Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan announced on Tuesday he is convening a special grand jury to determine whether to levy charges.
The special grand jury will consider whether to hand down an indictment for Daniel Pantaleo and any other officers after hearing all the evidence gathered by the prosecutor.