TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — George Floyd's death is still sparking protests and calls for change across the country and, as protesters push to make their voices heard, city leaders are opening their ears to listen.
Rain or shine, protesters continue to demand justice in Tallahassee.
On Tuesday, protesters in Tallahassee took their message off of the streets and into a room with city leaders.
"You have students that care passionately about a problem going on in their community," said Nastassia Janvier. "And you have older people saying, 'If you care, then be the change that you want to see.'"
In an effort to see that change, Janvier gathered fellow college students and community members to form The Movement 850.
"We wanted to hone in on Tallahassee," Janvier said. "What do we want to see happen? What do we want to see changed?"
In addition to protests, the group started a petition, an appeal to Tallahassee police, the city commission, and even Governor Ron DeSantis.
The petition calls for the body cam footage from all three of Tallahassee's officer-involved shootings to be released, as well as a report on every officer detailing use of force and potential bias.
Long-term demands include starting a diversity task force within the police department and training to ensure officers understand and can accurately work with black communities.
"These are trying times," said mayor John Dailey. "People are frustrated. People want to be heard. It's important for everyone to know that their local government is listening and we too want to make meaningful change to move this community forward."
Local government leaders, law enforcement, university leaders, and those committed students spoke behind closed doors at a roundtable Tuesday, working to figure out how to see change.
"Those conversations are not easy at all," Janvier said. "Essentially we're having those hard conversations and mobilizing on the grounds in terms of protests to show that we're not letting up."
Mayor Dailey says he looks forward to meeting again to continue to work towards change.
The petition was formally sent to Governor DeSantis last week. He hasn't responded to the group or ABC 27's requests for comment.
