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Protesters Return to US Streets to Demand Justice, Peace

© AP Photo / John BazemoreDemonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers, Friday, July 8, 2016.
Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers, Friday, July 8, 2016. - Sputnik International
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For the second night in a row, and in the wake of a sniper ambush on Dallas police officers that left five dead, protesters have taken over the streets in cities across the United States, demanding an end to police brutality and gun violence.

The new demonstrations come in the wake of two high-profile killings of blacks this week by white police officers. On Wednesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot in the back by police while pinned to the ground in a gas station parking lot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That same night, 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

On Friday night, activists returned to the streets to protest the killings, including massive demonstrations in Georgia, and St. Louis, Missouri. Protesters have also gathered in front of the White House in Washington DC.

In Atlanta, protesters have blocked the entrance to I-75.

Earlier on Friday, rappers Snoop Dogg and The Game led a peaceful march in support of BLM through Los Angeles city streets to LAPD headquarters, meeting with the city’s police chief.

In a show of solidarity, marchers in London expressed support for the BLM movement. Protesters carried signs and chanted "Hands up, don’t shoot."

Violence erupted during an otherwise peaceful protest in Dallas on Thursday night. While protesters gathered quietly, mingling with police officers, a shooter identified as Micah Xavier Johnson opened fired on police, killing five and injuring seven. BLM condemned the shooting, and the group intends to continue organizing over the weekend.

"There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this," BLM said in a statement.

"Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it. Yesterday’s attack was the result of the actions of a lone gunman. To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible. We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us."

A number of violent incidents were reported across the country on Friday. An officer in a St. Louis suburb was shot during a traffic stop. A man fired indiscriminately along a highway in Tennessee, killing one person and injuring three others.

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