Protesters Stage Mock Trial in Front of San Francisco Police Department

Protesters rallied in San Francisco on Monday, March 23, calling for justice and an independent federal investigation into the one-year anniversary of the police shooting of 28-year-old Alejandro “Alex” Nieto. The four police officers involved in the fatal shooting were cleared of all charges last month because Nieto pointed a Taser that the officers believed was a pistol, according to local reports.

Nieto, a Latino, was born and raised in Bernal Heights, where he was shot and killed. According to his friends, Nieto was carrying a Taser before starting his shift as a nightclub security guard.

A group of demonstrators chained themselves outside of the Mission Police Station in San Francisco, blocking the entrance, while others staged a street theater performance acting out a trial of the four officers. Credit: Luciano Sagastume