US: Thousands march in NY on Juneteenth

Thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets on Friday to commemorate Juneteenth.

The marchers made their way from Brooklyn, across the Brooklyn Bridge and gathered at Cadman Plaza for a rally, where they chanted against police brutality and for better race relations.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier in the day that Juneteenth will be an official holiday for city workers and schoolchildren next year.

The Mayor said the city will also form a new commission to examine its history of racial discrimination.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the Union army brought word of the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared all slaves free in Confederate territory.

The new Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission will give New Yorkers a platform to discuss their experiences with racism, examine possible discrimination in public policy and recommend changes like removing symbols of racism from public spaces, de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, said in announcing its formation.

(Representative Image)