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Demonstrators march through Pittsburgh day after Rosfeld found not guilty | TribLIVE.com
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Demonstrators march through Pittsburgh day after Rosfeld found not guilty

Megan Guza
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Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
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Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters listen to speakers at Freedom Corner in the Hill District following the aquital of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters listen to speakers at Freedom Corner in the Hill District following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters pray following listening to speakers at Freedom Corner in the Hill District following the aquital of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Demonstrators gather at a rally at Freedom Corner in the Hill District on March 23, 2019, a day after the not guilty verdict in the homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Antwon Rose Sr., center, speaks to demonstrators at a rally at Freedom Corner in the Hill District on Saturday, March 23, 2019, a day after the not guilty verdict in the homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Demonstrators gather at a rally at Freedom Corner in the Hill District on Saturday, March 23, 2019, a day after the not guilty verdict in the homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest12032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Antwon Rose Sr., speaks to a crowd gathered at Freedom Corner in the Hill District following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Betty Jean, of Munhall, sheds tears as she listens to speakers at Freedom Corner in the Hill District following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Demonstrators gather outside the Allegheny County Courthouse on Saturday, a day after the not-guilty verdict in the homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Mounted police are on standby on the plaza outside the U.S. Steel building, downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday, March 23, 2019.
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Megan Guza | Tribune-Review
Demonstrators make their way down Fifth Avenue toward Smithfield Street outside of the Allegheny County Courthouse on Saturday, March 23, 2019, a day after the not guilty verdict in the homicide trial of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld.
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Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Volunteers from Focus Pittsburgh engage with residents about gun violence, community needs and Antwon Rose II on March 23, 2019, in North Braddock and East Pittsburgh.
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Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review
Volunteers from Focus Pittsburgh engage with residents about gun violence, community needs and Antwon Rose II on March 23, 2019, in North Braddock and East Pittsburgh.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest21032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest20032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters share water while demonstrating Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest17032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest18032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest15032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.
925606_web1_PTR-VerdictProtest19032319
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
Protesters demonstrate Downtown following the acquittal of former East Pittsburgh Police officer Michael Rosfeld, Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rosfeld was charged with homicide in the fatal shooting of Antwon Rose II, who was unarmed, as he fled a felony traffic stop.

The day after a jury found Michael Rosfeld not guilty of homicide in the shooting and killing of 17-year Antwon Rose II has brought mixed reactions.

The heads of two of the city’s most powerful philanthropic institutions shared in the shock and outrage that brought people into the streets Friday night while an online fundraiser set up to help Rosfeld with legal fees thanked people for their support.

Rosfeld was charged with one count of homicide for killing Rose on June 19 as the teen ran from a felony traffic stop. Jurors spent less than four hours deliberating Friday before clearing him of any wrongdoing.

A rally that kicked off at Freedom Corner in the Hill District continued throughout Downtown Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon. Here are updates from the demonstrations.


MORE COVERAGE

Rosfeld acquittal leaves a relieved wife in tears and a mother indignant
Gunshots fired into Monroeville office of Rosfeld’s lawyer
Rosfeld’s testimony appeared to sway jury, experts say
Michael Rosfeld not guilty of homicide in killing of Antwon Rose II


•••

5:41 p.m.

The rally has moved to Schenley Plaza in Oakland.

•••

4:22 p.m.

Pittsburgh Public Safety tweeted that rolling road closures were continuing as the demostrations moved on throughout Downtown.

Just before 5 p.m., Public Safety said the Downtown demonstrations had ended peacefully and traffic flow was resuming as normal.

3:49 p.m.

The demonstration was making its way back uptown toward PPG Paints Arena after spending some time around the Allegheny County Courthouse.

•••

3:30 p.m.

Members of Focus Pittsburgh’s trauma response team were in Braddock and East Pittsburgh today talking to residents and offering support in the wake of Friday’s acquittal of Michael Rosfeld.

•••

The rally was making its way to the courthouse.

2:59 p.m.

•••

2:46 p.m.

Some demonstrators were starting to head toward Downtown Pittsburgh.

•••

2:25 p.m.

Demonstrators gathered at Freedom Corner in the Hill District, where Antwon Rose Sr. spoke.

•••

Earlier Saturday

“Mike was acquitted on all counts. We are beyond words in regards to the support we have received from the community. We truly thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” a post on the Funded Justice page for Rosfeld read Saturday.

The fundraiser page appears to have been started by Rosfeld’s wife, Michelle. The page has raised more than $17,000.

Maxwell King, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Grant Oliphant, president of The Heinz Endowments, released a joint statement on the verdict Saturday.

Pittsburgh now sadly joins a disturbing and ever-growing catalogue of cases across the United States where law enforcement or security officials have walked free after the killings of young black men under questionable circumstances,” they wrote.

They asked if Rose would be alive today if he were white. They suspected he would be.

“America is strewn with too many examples of how the poor are betrayed, how African Americans are disfavored and how immigrants are abused. This only adds to the heartbreak and deep sense of injustice that now hangs heavy over our city,” they wrote. “Pittsburgh now has the unwelcome notoriety of having its name added to a list of troubling incidents across America where the dispensing of justice has been less than convincing following the deaths of young black men. And there are questions that must be urgently addressed, locally and nationally, concerning police behavior, law enforcement recruitment and police officer training.”

Staff writer Renatta Signorini contributed. Megan Guza is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.

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