Community Activists Michelle Williams and Clarence Jones are the leaders of a protest against police brutality that began Monday in front of the District III Police Headquarters. The pair said the protest will go on until August 26th.

Williams said this action is long overdue.

“We will no longer sit by and remain idle without fighting this agency back to the fullest extent of the law. We are the only race of people to have substations in our communities. We are the only ones to have genocide committed in our race. We are the only race of people who continue to sit by remaining passive and afraid to stand up for ourselves because of the retaliation from this department. I encourage each of you to know our rights, exercise your rights, fight for your rights, and now that you are fed up, rise up and fight back. Stop getting cozy and get your feet out the quick sand.”

Jones said he feels compelled to address the many cries of the community in regards of the racial profiling, police brutality and police misconduct.

“It saddens me with the Internet site youtube.com with several recent police misconduct videos surfacing. They all show the brutality of young men already placed in handcuffs and an officer yoking them from behind.

“It is not against the law to video tape or take a still picture of a public service employee. They are paid with our tax dollars and they need to start governing themselves as such.”

Jones said in the past, he’s had dialogue with Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor in regard to these issues and he would like for hat dialogue to continue.

Williams and Jones said they have people from other areas of the state and country joining them in this protest, and expect to see full participation from the citizens of Tampa as well.