Protest organizer, 23, delivers water to riot police guarding a Target in Pittsburgh during Black Lives Matter march

This is the moment a protester in Pennsylvania handed out water to riot police after a demonstration.

Video shows a young man approaching lines of officers at the end of an event in Pittsburgh, carrying a multi-pack of water bottles, saying: 'I know you guys are thirsty.'

Some officers respond with a smile and others remain straight-faced, as the man - identified as Alexander Cash - jokes: 'I wasn't yelling at y'all don't be looking at me like that.

'I'm just trying to spread a message OK. I know you guys are out here doing your jobs. I'm not mad at you.'

Heartwarming moment protester brings water to police officers

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Alexander Cash organized the Black Lives Matter march in Pennsylvania and handed out water to riot police guarding a Target store in East Liberty, Pittsburgh

Cash, 23, then bends down to the ground in front of them, rips open the plastic packaging for them and leaves them to help themselves.

'I'm mad at the ones that are doing it to us, do you understand?' he continues.

'We came out here peaceful, that's what I'm trying to show you.'

The officers, who were guarding a Target store - are heard responding with thanks. One of them replies: 'We appreciate it.'

The person filming the interaction shouts over to the cops: 'Good job guys.'

According to the Twitter user who shared the clip, the man making the friendly gesture is Alexander Cash - who organized the East Liberty event.

By Tuesday the video had been viewed approximately 3.4 million times.

Twitter users responded proudly, with one writing: 'This is the Pittsburgh I know.'

'Proud of both sides here ! This is what we need after things calm down . Community, caring and respect,' another wrote.

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In a video he is heard saying: 'I know you guys are thirsty' as he brings over water. He reassures them: 'I wasn't yelling at y'all ...'I'm just trying to spread a message OK. I know you guys are out here doing your jobs. I'm not mad at you'

Some said the grateful reaction of riot police was in great contrast to another clip that showed cops opening bottles of donated water and pouring it onto the ground.

The water had been donated to protesters who have been marching in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Initially only two people showed up to the event co-organized by Elizya Powell but dozens more joined later.

'All the stuff they did downtown is really tragic,' Cash told CBS 2. 'I want to show that we can be peaceful.'

Organizers promoted unity while speaking out against the death of George Floyd.

'Not every single cop is bad, but there's a lot of people that's taken control and abuse of their power, and I don't like it,' Cash said.  

Americans have been protesting after the police custody death of George Floyd – a black man seen dying on video as white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sat on him with his knee in his neck.

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In the horrifying video Floyd is heard pleading for his life, saying: 'I can't breathe, officer.' Meanwhile two other cops are holding down the rest of Floyd's body with their weight and another officer looks on.

It follows the killings of black EMT Breonna Taylor, shot by police as she slept in her Kentucky apartment, and Ahmaud Arbery, hunted down and shot by three white men in Georgia.

Protesters are calling for justice in a number of others cases where African Americans have been killed by white people, and demand reform as they call out systematic racism.

Hundreds had gathered outside Eastminster Church for prayers with leaders, including Mayor Bill Peduto.