Six months ago the police murder of Michael Brown began a nation-wide outcry for an end to the wanton murder of blacks in the U.S. 
Tens of thousands of people in the Bay Area and millions around the world have poured into the streets to voice their outrage and disgust by protesting and marching. 
It would seem though, because of news and other media outlets that the movement that was once millions loud and strong, hast come to a silent halt.
The weekend events of Feb. 21 may prove otherwise. Although there are still those protesting to raise awareness that blacks are murdered by police every 28 hours in this country, there are far fewer in attendance than in earlier months. 
The Revolution Club, a group of young activists of color, took to the streets on Feb. 21 in protest of mass incarceration and police violence. They marched from 73 rd and International Boulevard to 98th Avenue, stepping into these communities, fitted with bullhorns and whistles, to remind Oaklanders that the movement is still alive.
Simultaneously in Emeryville, #BlackLivesMatter activists occupied Home Depot in honor of Yvette Henderson, 38, who was shot down on Feb. 3 by Emeryville police after chasing her for allegedly shoplifting. 
At least 100 protesters gathered, demanding surveillance tapes of the incident be made public. Home Depot, which is usually open until 9 p.m., closed at 11 a.m. due to the protests. 
A rally was held at Frank Ogawa (“Oscar Grant”) Plaza in Oakland Feb. 22 to commemorate that three months to the day, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by police at a park for playing with a toy gun. 
This was done nation-wide including a candlelight vigil in Cleveland, Ohio, where the shooting took place. 
In Brooklyn, N.Y., people gathered for a rally at Harlem State Official Building and a vigil. Supporters also collected in Los Angeles in remembrance as well as Houston, Ferguson Mo., New Haven Ct., and Chicago. 
On Broadway in Oakland, activists with Stop Mass Incarceration Network (SMIN) passed out fliers with Rice’s photo and gave speeches about the current state of police murder. 
At each one of these actions there was a unifying constant. They talked about “shutting it down” on April 14, wherein students and workers would walk out into the streets in a nation-wide protest. 
SMIN also advised people not to purchase anything on this day of action. SMIN also floated around the hashtags #ShutItDown414 and #ShutDownA14 asking people to share it on all social media sites.
Longtime Bay Area activist and SMIN member D’andre Teeter had this to say when asked about the decrease in protesters in recent months. 
“Since the end of the year, the beautiful, powerful upsurge of the people has definitely subsided… a combination of feeling powerless and, in the lack of the same beautiful charged atmosphere, settling back into the “normal routine.’” 
Teeter also goes on to mention the intimidation of protesters by the police and other officials through mass arrests, major criminal charges, excessive bail and even blaming protesters for the two NYPD cops who were killed in December 2014. 
There may not be tens of thousands of people marching in Bay Area streets as there were at the beginning of the year, but if this particular February weekend is any indication of the status of this movement, it’s alive and marching.