SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Local Civil Rights activists are renewing calls for change after five police officers beat Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, to death in Memphis. Members of Saratoga Black Lives Matter gathered outside city hall on Tuesday to bring the national tragedy into a local conversation.

They pointed to their disappointment that a candidate for police chief is a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a Black man whose family claims died as a result of an incident with Saratoga Springs police. They also said recommendations from the city’s police reform task force need to be implemented as soon as possible.

“We are a super minority. We need representation,” Lexis Figuereo said. “We need people who are actually going to fight for things that we need.”

“I see elected officials talking about Tyre Nichols, talking about how upsetting this is, how we need to do something. So then let’s do something,” Samira Sangare said.

Saratoga Black Lives Matter is holding another rally to honor Nichols on Thursday at sunset in Congress Park.