Protester Summer Taylor Mourned After Their Death, Public Demands Justice

Social media is mourning on Sunday for 24-year-old protester Summer Taylor. Taylor was killed late on Saturday night in Seattle when a car drove into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters on a closed road. Another protester was hit — 32-year-old Diaz Love — and remains in serious condition.

Taylor was among a crowd of authorized demonstrators on the I-5 freeway in Seattle on Saturday night. The road was marked off with police barricades so that they could march safely, yet a driver drove up an exit ramp the wrong way to reach the protesters, according to a report by NPR. An extremely graphic video of the collision circulated on social media, apparently showing Taylor and Love being launched into the air by the force of the car.

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Authorities say that the driver of the car was a 27-year-old man and that they have arrested him. So far, they have not speculated on his motive or released his identity—however, Capt. Ron Mead did reveal that the driver did not seem impaired in any way.

“My hope is, as a result of this tragedy, protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple,” Mead said of the incident.

Demonstrators mourned Taylor and prayed for Love throughout the night on social media. Taylor worked with animals at the Urban Animal Veterinary Clinic and was beloved by co-workers, who spoke to The Seattle Times.

“Summer has been there since Day One standing up for Black lives. Staying out all day and night, while still working full time taking care of animals. Summer talked me about the protests, and how incredible it was to be a part of something so huge. A part of history,” they said of their fallen colleague.

Love reportedly remains in serious condition in a Seattle hospital, though the specifics of their injuries has not been revealed. Here is a look at how social media is dealing with the violent death of Summer Taylor.

RIP

Rest In Power, Summer Taylor. pic.twitter.com/0zgZWADSWK
— Occupy_ICE_NWDC (@occupyICENW) July 5, 2020

Anger

I don’t have anything funny to say. No humor to be found on a day where a paragon of patriotism like Summer Taylor gets murdered while dancing for human rights and a coin-operated-coward like Kanye is seriously talked about as a presidential contender.
— 🔥Aiden Wolfe (@AidenWolfe) July 5, 2020

Context

Summer Taylor was murdered today while protesting against police brutality and for Black Lives https://t.co/mnN74jTPR3
— nate bowling (police violence is state violence) (@nate_bowling) July 5, 2020

Peaceful

The scene moments before a driver plowed into a crowd of peaceful protesters gathered on I-5 in Seattle early this morning: The Cupid Shuffle and a festive atmosphere. RIP Summer Taylor #SummerTaylor #DiazLove #SeattleProtest pic.twitter.com/NyXfRpbFd4
— A-A-RON (@ASeattleStoner) July 5, 2020

Justice

The driver deliberately went up the ramp the wrong way to get on the freeway where police had blocked it off for the protest, the Black Femme March, police said. He then drove around parked cars that were adding more safety. #SummerTaylor was killed. #DiazLove is in ICU. https://t.co/qYDaAoNJjv
— Victoria Brownworth #EndVoterSuppression (@VABVOX) July 5, 2020

Horrifying. May Summer Taylor Rest In Peace.😓

This murder is reminiscent of the 2017 terrorist in Charlottesville who killed Heather Hayer with his car.

May Summer’s killers be brought to swift justice. #NoJusticeNoPeace #KnowJusticeKnowPeace https://t.co/ct6dGQh1F1
— Qasim Rashid for Congress (@QasimRashid) July 5, 2020

Diaz Love

Summer Taylor (they/them) is dead and Diaz Love (they/them) is still in critical condition.

Marching for black lives shouldn’t be a death sentence yet racists have flooded posts/videos about this event, celebrating it, and calling them “road kill”

They where human beings. pic.twitter.com/CsV7z9V9fA
— Alycia Ramirez (@AlyciaRamirez3) July 5, 2020

In the cruelest of ironies, #DiazLove had posted of her fear that something terrible might happen at the Black Femmes March. She was live streaming the protest via Facebook when she and #SummerTaylor were struck.

Prayers for her recovery. pic.twitter.com/lDQL8eWhdH
— Victoria Brownworth #EndVoterSuppression (@VABVOX) July 5, 2020

Officials Weigh In

Absolutely heartbreaking. Summer Taylor was only 24-years-old, peacefully protesting for Black Lives Matter when they were struck by a car. Thinking of their family during this difficult time and everyone in the movement today. pic.twitter.com/i7hqkjSSMH
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 5, 2020

Rest In Power #SummerTaylor. Where is the federal investigation of these car attacks? https://t.co/8Yh0hwAC8p
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 5, 2020