Dozens of protestors took to the streets in east Erie Friday evening, protesting police and supporting Montrice Bolden, the man who suffered multiple injuries during an arrest by Erie Police last month.

The message is clear: protesters, who demonstrated for nearly 90 minutes at T.J.'s Traffic Jam bar where Bolden was arrested June 27, want justice for the 41-year-old accused of smoking marijuana and punching an officer, among other charges.

They want the officers who are accused of using excessive force during his arrest to step down or fired.

"All lives matter, we just want justice," said Yaphet Edison, a protester. "We want the Justice Dept. to come down here and say something about what they did."

Names of the officers involved have not officially been released.

"You gotta think about if that was your son," one protester tells Erie News Now. "What would you have said? Would that be justice?"

Dozens of protesters lined East 12th Street with signs, chanting for justice for Bolden. He sustained multiple facial injuries and internal bleeding during the arrest.
 
"We're sending a message of 'hey listen, when it's unjust, no matter who it is or how high they are, they have to be dealt with," said Alvin Tucker, 26, co-organizer of the event "Take Back Our Streets."

"We just want to prove a point that it's time to all stand together and we unite and we take back the streets here in Erie, PA," said Dawn Nicks, a representative of T.J.'s Traffic Jam bar.

The protest comes nearly a week after Erie News Now first aired surveillance video from the bar. It shows Bolden in a struggle with police after allegedly smoking marijuana and punching a police officer, but is not shown on the recording. That's when one officer strikes Bolden, the group then falling to the ground.

Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott confirmed Thursday an internal investigation on the case is underway.

But the protests won't stop here. Organizers are scheduled to hold several events throughout the next few days in the city of Erie, leading up to a major rally at Erie City Hall on July 28.

"We want answers," said Edison. "Why have they not been suspended yet?"

While mostly peaceful, at one point, that rally stopped traffic for several blocks. Erie Police were forced to come in and clear the street, as protesters continued demanding answers.

"We need police, we're agreeing to that," said Tucker. "We're doing things to police our communities and things of that nature. We're just asking them to do the same thing."