Protesters called on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to take a stand against the recent police shooting deaths of two black men in North Texas.
“Mr. Jones, use your platform. Since you told your players they cannot protest, use your platform now to speak out against this vile and vicious murder that took place, " said Frederick Haynes, a senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, KDFW-TV reported.
About 100 Black Lives Matter activists rolled two caskets alongside them as they marched peacefully outside AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon during the Cowboys game against the New York Giants in Arlington, Texas.
The caskets represented the deaths of Botham Jean, 26, of Dallas, and O'Shae Terry, 24, of Arlington, who were both killed by police officers earlier this month.
Jones has ordered his players to stand during the national anthem. Players who want to kneel have been told to remain inside the locker room until after the anthem.
"We come with an invitation to Jerry Jones, to Dak Prescott, to the entire Cowboys organization to join us in the fight for justice. To ensure these tragedies do not continue to befall our community," the Rev. Michael Waters said, according to KXAS-TV.
The billionaire owner has been accused of making the rule to keep from losing fans who are opposed to the "take a knee" anthem protests by some professional athletes.
"Let us know that you're not just concerned with making money off of black bodies, but you're concerned about the safety of all black bodies," Haynes added. "Because guess what? We are Americans as well."
Civil rights attorney and protest organizer Lee Merritt, who's representing Jean's and Terry's families, had four demands for Dallas police.
Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger was charged with manslaughter for allegedly shooting and killing Jean on Sept. 6 after she entered his apartment after reportedly mistaking it for her own.
She was placed on administrative leave after the incident, but activists believe she should have been fired.
“There’s four demands out of this march. There’s four demands from this community,” Merritt said, according to KDFW. "That Officer Amber Guyger be fired. That should’ve already happened. That Officer Amber Guyger be charged with murder, not manslaughter. That the Dallas Police Department identify the officers responsible for leaking information to the media, and that they be disciplined, and that the media who put out information about what was found in Botham’s home, on the day of his funeral, formally apologize to that family.”
Merritt also represented the family of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, the unarmed black teen who was murdered by former Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver. Oliver was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The activists believe criminal charges should be upgraded from manslaughter to murder.
"It was murder because if the roles had been reversed and Botham had come into her apartment and killed her, he would be in jail right now and charged with capital murder," Haynes said, KXAS reported. "We are saying there is not justice at all if there is not justice for all."
Activists were angered after information released from a search warrant showed that police found 10.4 grams of marijuana inside Jean's apartment.
A separate group of protesters blocked traffic near the stadium. Nine were arrested, according to authorities.
Another march is scheduled for Monday night at Dallas City Hall.
