Swarms of people have been taking to the streets across the nation to express their willingness to take action against injustice.

About 40 protesters peacefully walk hands raised acorss Crenshaw Blvd. & MLK St. intersection, Wednesday. (Celeste Alvarez/ Neon Tommy)

Protesters loud and quiet, hostile and peaceful, angry and sad have stood in the rain, marched down streets, stopped traffic and have even been arrested. They have ranged from teens to senior citizens, women and men, and people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Their reasons and aspirations for the future vary but their desire to do something has tied them together from Ferguson to Los Angeles, New York and across several other cities in the U.S. and beyond.

Participating in protests against police brutality in Los Angeles for some time now, L.A. native Diego Massimo shared his reasons for marching alongside protesters following the Ferguson Grand Jury decision to not indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.

“This is a huge injustice taking place around the country… police brutality and murder must stop,” Massimo said. “It is not just Ferguson, people mainly black and Latino have been oppressed and shot down, so all of this has been apart of my development and understanding of what's been going on.”

Massimo also joined other people outside the Los Angeles Police Headquarters and later in Crenshaw Wednesday, following the New York Grand Jury’s decision to not indict the Staten Island police officer who was responsible for the death of Eric Garner. Massimo stood in the rain with about 50 other protesters.

READ MORE: Students Hold Teach-in and Vigil For Mike Brown, Eric Garner

Protester Kylene Wolfstein never expected her devotion for justice would lead to her arrest and subsequent release by LAPD. Wolfstein recalled how she decided to take her emotions about Ferguson into motion by attending one meeting.

“I have been in solidarity with Michael Brown and the community of Ferguson since the beginning," Wolfstein said. "However, it was not until the public was able to see the evidence that was presented to the grand jury (or lack thereof) that I decided to attend a meeting in Downtown L.A.” 

An LAPD officer arrested her after she refused to comply with his request, and he didn’t release her until after she informed him she had filmed their exchange. Below is a video of the incident:

“There is always a risk of being arrested at a protest, especially when you have hundreds of cops surrounding you,” Wolfstein said.  “This police violence has motivated others and amongst protesters has most certainly created feelings of solidarity that I don't think have existed in the past. People are united [and many] don't care if they are arrested.”

Luckily for Wolfstein, she was not among the more than 300 protesters arrested in Los Angeles last week.

As protesters continue to express their feelings toward the injustice they believe is taking place between law enforcement officers and minorities, the number of people deciding to join solidarity events is also growing.

Below are some protesters' thoughts and feelings on the issue and their reasons for marching in the rain Wednesday evening.

Above: Jolene Levid of Af3irm weighs in on why she's protesting.

Above: Devin Arnold speaks about why he finally decided to join the protests.

Reach Staff Reporter Celeste Alvarez here or follow her on Twitter here.