DES MOINES, Iowa - The number of peaceful protests in Des Moines continues to mount. Several marches took place over the weekend in different parts of the city.
Sunday night’s March for Justice for DarQuan Jones included around 500 protesters.
Twenty-two year-old Jones is a black man who was assaulted by three white men last month while walking to his girlfriend’s house. Jones and his family say the attack was racially motivated.
The Justice for DarQuan Jones march, which was staged by Des Moines Black Lives Matter, began and ended at the South Side Library. Jones father, Daryl Jones, spoke at the march. The Des Moines Register reports Darquan made a surprise appearance at the event, and told a crowd gathered around him that he's still trying to heal.
Saturday, more than 1,000 took part in the "Our Generation's March on Selma" demonstration.
That protest began outside Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. At one point, almost all participants laid on the ground with their hands behind them for 8:46 in a replication of George Floyd's death while in the custody of Minneapolis Police. The moment of silence was held outside Des Moines City Hall.
Numerous speakers addressed the crowd. The march ended in front of the state capitol.