SEATTLE — Rideshare drivers caravanned through Seattle to send a message about safety.
They held a rally on Thursday afternoon, just days after a Lyft driver was shot and killed.
"We have to find justice for him,” said rideshare driver Abdi Ali. "He was a good man, you know, worked hard for his family and now he is gone, and nobody knows what happened."
Abdi Ali is talking about his friend, Mohammed Kediye, a Lyft driver who was shot and killed while completing a ride in Seattle near Seventh Avenue and Lenora Street.
Friends fondly remembered the 48-year-old as a father who left behind six children.
Jewel Davis spent five years as a rideshare driver.
“They are not being choosy of who they shoot at, they are not being choosy of who they assault,” said Davis. "I'm done being silent."
Instead, Davis is shining a light on the numbers. In the United States more than 50 gig workers have been killed on the job in the last five years and 63% of them have been people of color, according to a report from advocacy group Gig Workers Rising.
The Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association is keeping track of the crimes, including a Maryland Uber driver killed while on duty last month. In December of 2020 in Issaquah, police say an Uber driver was killed by two passengers.
"I have been here for 16 years. I am a U.S. Citizen. I vote. So, I want people to see that we are human too,” said Ali.
He says the lack of attention to the loss of life is why rideshare drivers came together for a demonstration, getting behind the wheel on Thursday.
"We are going to drive, it is going to be disruptive,” said Abdi Shire, chairman of the Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association.
A long procession made its way to City Hall in the name of public safety and in honor of Mohammed Kediye, a fallen friend.
“That could have been any one of us. We're lucky to be here on this earth another day,” said Davis.
Rideshare drivers were able to meet with city leaders on Thursday afternoon. They talked with Interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz about the ongoing search for the person who killed Kediye. They also called on Mayor Bruce Harrell to make rideshare driver safety a priority in Seattle.
A Lyft Spokesperson released a statement in response to the killing.
"The events described are heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the driver's loved ones and everyone who has been impacted by this tragedy. We are working to make contact with the driver's family as soon as possible, have been in touch with the rider to offer our support, and have reached out to law enforcement to offer our assistance with their investigation."
An Uber spokesperson also released a statement.
“Driver safety is a top priority at Uber. We’ve pioneered many of the safety features that are standard in the industry today, including an in-app emergency button, and are piloting new features all over the world. Our work on safety is never done, and we remain committed to investing in technology and features designed with safety in mind.”