Black Lives Matter rally in Tampa: Let the pictures tell the story

Images of looting, arson, and violence in Tampa and across the nation made the international news following peaceful protests held in honor of George Floyd of Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matter movement.

While those images get lots of well-deserved attention, 83 Degrees chooses to share a series of images taken by Tampa Photographer Kimberly DeFalco to show the scene at Cyrus Greene Park in east Tampa as large peaceful protests unfolded Sunday afternoon.

As you can see in the images above, a diverse crowd of men, women, and children, young and old, black, brown, and white, gathered to hear speakers and pastors condemn violence and call for passionate expression and peaceful protests.

Also on Sunday and Monday, high school and college students along with neighborhood residents and other concerned citizens showed up where looting had occurred on Saturday night on Fowler Avenue in north Tampa to begin to clean up the mess.

Peaceful protests and marches continued over the weekend and into Monday in downtown Tampa and around the Tampa Bay Area as well as in other Florida cities as curfews and an increased police presence helped keep the peace.