A rally in Omaha on Thursday to protest the death of a black Minneapolis man at the hands of a white police officer there drew a relatively small but vocal crowd.

Anthony Baker organized the rally outside the northeast police precinct at 30th and Taylor Streets, attracting a group of about 40 people, many of whom wore masks.

Among those in attendance was State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who said he only learned of the rally late Wednesday.

The rally might have been an inconvenient last-minute event, “but murders are never convenient,” Baker said.

“We can’t always wait until things are convenient,” he said. “We have to do what is necessary. This is an homage to George Floyd.”

Floyd died Monday after Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt with his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.

The event was captured on video by a bystander and has gripped the nation.

Floyd, who was being arrested on suspicion of forgery, protested the officer’s use of force. He can be heard on the video repeatedly saying he couldn’t breathe before becoming unresponsive.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo fired Chauvin and three other officers who were at the scene. Law enforcement officials in Nebraska, including Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, have condemned the actions of the officers and applauded Arradondo’s quick action.

“The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is deeply saddened and disturbed by the events that led to the death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis,” said a statement released by Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning on Thursday. “Based on the information known to date, the conduct by the officers involved showed a total disregard for life and basic human dignity.”

At least two Omaha police officers watched the rally but didn’t address the crowd.

“Since when does the crime of forgery end with the sentence of death?” asked Baker to cheers from his listeners. “George Floyd was put on trial in the streets of Minneapolis, and so often is that the court of law for black people. Derek Chauvin was the judge, the jury and the executioner.”

The rally, Baker said, was an attempt to share the grief and pain of Floyd’s friends and family.

He called for the arrest of Chauvin and any other officers involved in Floyd’s death. Baker also vowed not to be “deterred, persuaded or influenced” by any attempts to discredit Floyd or his family in order to justify his death.

Also speaking at the hour-long rally were Chambers and Wendell Stanley, a minister at Spirit & Truth Gospel Church of Omaha.

Chambers said people need to pay attention to local events, including the death of Zachary Bear Heels, who died in Omaha police custody in June 2017.

Chambers said that Schmaderer took action when he fired the four officers involved but that the chief was thwarted “by the system.” Three of the four officers regained their jobs through arbitration.

“Cops invariably get their jobs back when the victim is black, brown or poor white,” Chambers said.

Stanley said before the rally that Floyd’s death underscored an urgent need for the public to react when police brutality comes to light on social media. Chauvin’s actions, he said, revealed his inability to empathize with a man pleading to breathe.

“George Floyd showed no resistance,” Stanley said. “We need to find the answer to that lack of empathy. We don’t have the answer now, but we can contribute to the equation.”

Photos: Omaha rally to protest death of Minneapolis man at hands of the police