Protests in St. Paul take on a peaceful tone at the State Capitol and Ramsey County Courthouse

Tuesday in St. Paul, there were two separate gatherings, at different locations, with the same demand: systemic change to police departments in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The first one occurred at the State Capitol and was more of a peaceful sit-in, which dispersed by the afternoon.

The second one took place at another public building, this time in downtown St. Paul. At 4p.m., a large group of demonstrators rallied outside of the Ramsey County Courthouse. It’s the same building where city council members are based.

Among the impassioned speakers was the Aunt of Marcus Golden. The 24-year-old man was shot and killed by St. Paul officers five years ago, in January 2015, as he drove a vehicle toward them on University Avenue. Relatives later said Golden had been depressed and suicidal after the death of his brother.

An investigation determined the shooting was justified and officers weren’t charged with a crime.

On Tuesday, on what would’ve been Golden’s 30th birthday, instead of celebrating his Aunt Monique Cullars Doty commiserated and demanded systemic policing reforms.

"We’re seeing people put their bodies on the line and breaking curfews demanding justice and change we have to remember it’s not enough to fire all four of the Minneapolis police officers involved with the in-custody death of George Floyd, but to have them arrested, held without bail, prosecuted and sent to prison we have to see this all the way through with new legislation," she says.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and activist, also addressed the crowd and urged them to call out Marcus Golden’s name and George Floyd’s.