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BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Just over a year ago, Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead in the Satilla Shores neighborhood, next to the United States, on the outskirts of Brunswick.
There is a small memorial of Amhmaud Arbery in the neighborhood, but something much larger opened on Saturday as hundreds of people drove and rode their bikes around the neighborhood on a memorial walk in honor of Arbery’s life.
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“I traveled with Ahmaud today because I grew up with him. I saw him around the neighborhood and felt that I had to do this to show my support for him and his family, ”said pilot Zyron Wise. “It simply came to my notice then. That something like that happened and the way it happened hurt a lot of people. It could have been any of us. “
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Arbery was killed and shot just over a year ago on February 23, 2020. Prosecutors said he confronted her while running through the neighborhood and that there were now three men (Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Roddie Bryan) . awaiting trial on charges of murder by malice, false imprisonment and several other charges related to Arbery’s death.
“We must remember that we must hold these people accountable for what they have done. And then we have to go out and do things right, change legislation and be proactive in our community, ”said Carla Arbery, Ahmaud Arbery’s aunt.
Arbery’s aunts, who organized the trip on Saturday, said that while the trip wasn’t easy for many emotionally, they plan to make it an annual event.
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They also said the trip was for more than his nephew. It was also for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others who are said to have lost their lives to a system that failed them.
“We just want to live in love and unity and we just know how to stand up for justice and stand up for everyone,” said Thea Brooks, Arbery’s aunt.
The family said Arbery’s death has not been in vain because it has seen changes in the leadership of the government and the Georgia Citizen Detention Act, which was cited in the early days after Amhmaud’s death by reasons for not prosecuting his accused killers.
The family said they appreciated the support of the community and are preparing for the trial.
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While they say it will be difficult to relive the moments of Amhmaud’s assassination, it is a fight they say they must face for everyone.
“You have to relive those moments when he was right there,” Thea Brooks said. “You have to relive those moments of what you were thinking when you ran for 7 minutes, so the trial will be another story.”
But they have had the support of people from all over the country and in their garden, such as a group from Jacksonville driving Jeeps during Saturday’s trip.
“We must keep his name alive. We have to keep his memory alive, ”said Brandon Thomas, organizer of Demand the Respect. “And to know that injustice will never be tolerated nor will it ever be tolerated.”
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