Minneapolis: High-ranking Congress member Maxine Waters called for an overhaul of policing in the United States as she joined the seventh consecutive night of protests in a Minneapolis suburb over the death of Daunte Wright, a young black man shot dead by a white policewoman.

The 20-year-old was killed during what should have been a routine traffic stop, sparking anger and fresh protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

“Policing has got to be changed,” Waters, chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, said Saturday shortly before the 11 pm curfew.

“We’ve got to reimagine how we can deal with the problems of our society, that young people and people of colour in particular getting killed by police that we pay to protect and serve us.” Waters, a Democrat from California, was speaking to a crowd of nearly 300 people outside the Brooklyn Centre Police Station.

Protesters have gathered every night since the killing of Wright in a neighbourhood about 16 kilometres north of Minneapolis.

Unlike Friday night, when police in riot gear moved to disperse what was declared an unlawful demonstration and arrested at least 100 people — including some journalists — Saturday’s gathering appeared to remain peaceful.

Protesters stood alongside the chain-link fence around the police station, chanting “Shut It Down” and waving “Black Lives Matter” flags, but did not appear to try to breach the barrier.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2021