Demonstrators protesting the fatal police shooting of 22-year-old black father Stephon Clark blocked the entrance to the downtown Sacramento arena where a basketball game took place.
The Washington Post reports on Thursday evening protesters gathered to demonstrate their upset over the Sunday killing of the father of two. The peaceful rally delayed the start of the night's game between the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.
Prior to the start of the NBA game, demonstrators brought awareness to Clark's death and police violence toward black people by demonstrating on the Sacramento highway, Interstate 5 and Sacramento's City Hall.
As ABC News reported, the demonstrations were led by Black Lives Matter Sacramento in a protest event titled "Turn Up – for Stephen Clark!" The demonstrations were organized after authorities released videos capturing the fatal incident.
The Facebook event page read in part: "We are tired of Sacramento law enforcement killing us! We are tired of talking and meeting and sitting trying to convince our elected officials that there needs to be change! It's time to TURN UP!"
Sacramento police officers shot and killed Clark Sunday night. Officers confronted the 22-year-old outside his grandparents' house where he lived and shot 20 rounds at him, CNN reported. Officers initially claimed they believed Clark had a gun – and later alleged they were under the impression he had a "tool bar."
Officers said they were in the area responding to a report that someone was breaking car windows, but authorities later revealed the only item Clark had on him was a cell phone.
The Sacramento Bee reported that protesters at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday night formed a human chain across the arena's doors chanting "Shut it Down!"
The Kings delayed the start time of the game and issued a statement saying they would not admit any more ticketed fans into the arena.
i don’t think the rest the kings fans outside are getting in anytime soon #StephonClark
pic.twitter.com/nA4hhBybFO— Kris Hooks (@Captain_Hooks) March 23, 2018
"Tonight's game began with a delay," the statement read according to The Sacramento Bee. "Due to law enforcement being unable to ensure ticketed fans could safely enter the arena, the arena remains closed, and we ask fans outside to travel home."
Vivek Randive, the Kings' owner, acknowledged the protests after the game.
"We recognize that it’s not just business as usual, and we are going to work really hard to bring everybody together to make the world a better place starting with our own community … to prevent this kind of a tragedy from happening again," he said according to The Sacramento Bee.