Chiefs draft pick leads march for ‘justice and equality’ in his hometown
The day after offensive lineman Lucas Niang was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the NFL Draft, an impromptu parade took place outside his home in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Per the Stamford Advocate, cars with with friends, neighbors, former coaches and teammates drove past Niang’s house to share in the joy of becoming an NFL player. One friend waved a Chiefs flag.
“This was awesome and everything I could have ever dreamed,” Niang told the Advocate. “I gave my heart and soul to this town and they paid me back. It lets me know that everything I have been doing isn’t for no reason. I have a lot of supporters and I am thankful for that.”
At the time, Niang was unable to leave his home with others because of the coronavirus.
But on Thursday, Niang joined his family members and more than a thousand others for a march through the streets over New Canaan.
Leading the way at one point, Niang said in a megaphone: “No Justice, No Peace” and “Black Lives Matter.” Twitter user Brett Yarris shared a video of the march, which he said was “for justice and equality.”
The New Canaan Advertiser said Niang’s family was joined at the head of the march by members of the police, clergy members and elected officials.
“The New Canaan Police were honored to assist Fatou, Nabi, Lucas and Ethan Niang the organizers of this march. In addition to assisting with this event, it was an honor and privilege for members of our department to march alongside the Niang family and so many others in this incredible community event,” the New Canaan Police said, per HamletHub.
Facebook user Chase Pellegrini shared a longer video of the march in New Canaan, which has a population of just over 20,000, and there were some other chants, including the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor:
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 12:14 PM.
