Eleven days after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed in an arrest, and 341 days after Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, killing him, Saranac Lakers in local activist groups took to the streets Saturday to say that justice has still not been done.

While they are satisfied with the jury’s finding, they are not satisfied with the systems of policing that they say lead to Floyd’s death.

“Racism is a systemic problem and a conviction of one individual is not justice considering how many Black lives are taken by systemic racism each year,” High Peaks Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Erin Cass said.

Around 50 people stood on the sidewalk by Riverside Park, holding signs and leading chants of “From the Adirondacks to NYC, end police brutality” and “money for jobs and education, not police and incarceration.”

Activists march down Church Street in Saranac Lake Saturday, to say the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd is not enough. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Cars driving by mostly honked in approval. A few pickup trucks squealed their tires on the street in front of them. After a while, protesters advanced down Main Street to Church Street and back to the park.

On the way, a woman came out from a house and shouted back to the protesters “All lives matter.”

Protesters responded with “All lives can’t matter until what? Until Black lives matter.”

HPDSA co-chair Zohar Gitlis said since Chauvin’s conviction four other Black people have been shot to death by police. They were Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, of Columbus Ohio; Adam Toledo, 13, of Chicago, Illinois; Daunte Wright, 20, of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota; and Andrew Brown Jr., 42, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Gitlis said “we cannot rest” while this happens.

Activists cross state Route 3 in Saranac Lake Saturday. They were rallying to show solidarity for Black Lives Matter in the Adirondacks. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Cass said HPDSA organized the rally to show solidarity for Black Lives Matter in the Adirondacks.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” said Alison Lutz, an HPDSA member who came from Plattsburgh to attend the rally.

Sue Abbot-Jones said allies cannot let their guard down because there are killings by police without convictions all the time.

Last year, Karen Davidson of Saranac Lake created the “Memorial Field for Black Lives” at John Brown Farm, with signs bearing the names of Black people who have been killed. Davidson lamented that she’s had to keep adding names to the installation, which will return to the farm in June.

HPDSA members said they’re glad local governments have taken a look at police policies and practices after a state-wide executive order last year, but they believe more can be done.

Zohar Gitlis leads chants with a megaphone Saturday as activists gathered to say the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd is not enough. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Mostly, they want the village of Saranac Lake to cut ties with Lexipol, a policing policy consulting company it contracts with. Lexipol is also used by departments around the country, including the Brooklyn Center department involved in Wright’s death.

HPDSA member David Lynch said he does not want to see a killing like that here. He believes departments should implement stricter use of force rules.

“Stricter use-of-force policies result in fewer deaths, that’s just a fact of the matter,” Lynch said.

He said he’s glad the village’s citizen-police interface group, organized by Trustee Melinda Little, is getting off the ground quickly.

“We can be better,” Cass told the crowd.

“People in the Adirondacks should take the time to educate themselves about white supremacy, to learn how it impacts our local communities and how we can make our communities better and safer for Black people, because right now, they’re not,” she said.

Cass said HPDSA will plan similar events all summer long.