Commissioner Outlaw marches with demonstrators at George Floyd protest

PHILADELPHIA - A week ago Saturday, peaceful protests that began in response to the police custody death of George Floyd devolved into rioting, violence and looting. Seven days later, the protests continued with a much different demeanor. 

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw was seen marching among the thousands of protesters who began their demonstration at the Philadelphia Art Museum.

"We have to come together in order to find meaningful solutions," Outlaw said. "The only way to do that is be on ground together, there can not be division, there has to be unity."

Protesters have been tireless in exhausting their voices in the name of their cause to impose legal, actionable accountability measures among police forces in the United States. 

MORE: Thousands march against police brutality in Philadelphia

"This is decades and centuries of issues that we've been facing and one week ain't going to change nothing," one demonstrator said.

In a show of the unity that Outlaw spoke of, the first-year commissioner was stopped several times during the march for photos. Outlaw said she is happy that she can represent a woman of color in power, but that many more need the same chance she was awarded.

"There’s a whole bunch like me that are waiting to be heard, that have been working behind the curtain and need an opportunity to be put in positions of leadership so we can have influence on the policies that impact not just black and brown communities but everyone. We are the police for all people, but we understand the perspective that we bring," Outlaw said.

Others say even when it's peaceful, deep pain lives in the black community, and the death of George Floyd while in police custody is just an example.

“It shows that people are angry and it shows that people try to protest and peacefully so many times," said a demonstrator. "I don’t agree with looting and vandalizing, but people are angry and I don’t listen when you’re peaceful and people are fed up somethings got to change.”

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