Local rideshare drivers demand justice and reform after Lyft driver murdered in downtown Seattle
SEATTLE - Dozens of demonstrators drove together to Seattle City Hall Thursday in honor of Mohamed Kediye, and to call for stronger safety measures for rideshare drivers.
Kediye, a father of six, was on his last route Sunday night when he was shot and killed outside the Amazon Spheres on 7th and Lenora Ave.
"We want them to know that [he was] a good citizen, a hardworking father just like everybody else, and we want him to have justice," said Ahmed Gelle.
Gelle is a relative of Kediye and also drives for other rideshare companies.
He says Kediye's widow and children are getting a lot of help from the rideshare community.
As of Thursday night, a verified GoFundMe has raised more than $46,000 to help cover Kediye's funeral expenses.
Julie Davis is another rideshare driver who came to the demonstration in support of a driver that she considered a brother.
"There are six kids that lost a father, that don't get to say ‘Hi daddy,’" said Davis.
Community mourns father of 6 who was shot and killed in Seattle while driving for Lyft
Friends and family gathered on Wednesday to remember the life of Mohamed Kediye, a father of six who was shot and killed while working his last route for Lyft near the Amazon Spheres on Sunday night.
Davis says she knew Kediye for years and knows the dangers that come along with being a rideshare driver.
"We need more protections. We are not even allowed, as drivers, to have stun guns or mace, any of these things to protect us, or we could risk losing our ability to drive and be deactivated," said Davis.
The Death and Corporate Irresponsibility in the Gig Economy report put together by an advocacy group, Gig Workers Rising, found that more than 50 rideshare drivers have been killed since 2017.
"Most of these workers, 60% of them were people of color, and yet we comprise 39% of the workforce overall in the United States," said Minister Cherri Murphy, a spokesperson for Gig Workers Rising.
The organization's research caught the attention of U.S. Senators this summer. Among them were Markey, Warren, Pressley and Sanders, who wrote to Lyft and other rideshare companies demanding more transparency and stronger safety measures.
"What needs to happen is the ability to pass legislation and policies to make sure that workers are safe on the job," said Murphy.
FOX 13 News reached out to Lyft on their plans to increase driver safety, but they have not responded as of Thursday afternoon.
RELATED: Community mourns father of 6 who was shot and killed in Seattle while driving for Lyft
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Murphy says Gig Workers Rising will continue to sound the alarm of tragedies that happen to rideshare drivers.
"There are people getting killed on the job and families who are left behind like this one with no protections and no recourse whatsoever," said Murphy.