On Saturday, tens of thousands of people marched down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to protest the police killing of Sean Bell. The Rev. Al Sharpton led the Shopping for Justice march, which went through the heart of the city’s shopping district. Sean Bell’s father called for a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation and for Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to resign. Marchers included Harry Belafonte, Congressman Charles Rangel and police brutality victim Abner Louima, as well as family members of the shooting victims. Saturday marked the fourth birthday of Sean Bell’s daughter Jada. Sean Bell was killed on his wedding day when police fired 50 shots at a car carrying him and two of his friends. All three men were unarmed. At Saturday’s protest, Democracy Now! caught up with two young students with the Schomburg Center’s Junior Scholars Program, student journalists Ben Thomas and Trent Stewart. They were both interviewing participants in the march for the Radio Schomburg program.

Ben Thomas: “I’m really happy to see a lot of younger people out here, instead of just the older ones, protesting about the rally.”

Trent Stewart: “I think—I’m happy that the people are out here to help Sean Bell. Even though he’s dead, we’re all chanting for him. If he was back alive, we would be chantinng, even though if he’s alive. So I’m thankful for that and what he’s doing.”

Ben Thomas: “And if this had happened to us, I bet Sean Bell would be out here right now protesting.”