With increasingly hotter and more humid weather in D.C., a local branch of the NAACP is working to distribute emergency kits to thousands of protesters outside.
Protesters marched for a sixth day in a row Wednesday in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody last week.
“Protests really are only successful when we stay out there,” said Afia Tyus, who is leading the effort to hand out the emergency kits.
Included in the kits are supplies such as water bottles, Gatorade, fruit, granola bars and towels.
“The idea was to be able to give people things that they can grab and go as things shift and change on the ground,” Tyus said. “I think, at the end of the day, water and a granola bar gets people moving for a couple more blocks.”
So far, 750 of the kits have been handed out to protesters, and Tyus said more are on the way.
“I’m going to keep going until the money runs out,” she said, referring to donations that have been made to the NAACP.
Separately, Tyus has also worked to distribute masks to protesters, keeping in mind that the coronavirus pandemic is still a threat and a major concern for some who are joining large gatherings in the streets.
