Thousands of protesters carrying signs and belting “Hands up, don’t shoot,” gathered on Dec. 13 just steps away from the Capitol Building in response to the recent deaths of unarmed African Americans.
Adults and children who came from across the country began to pack Freedom Plaza in chilly downtown Washington as early as 9 a.m. At noon, they peacefully marched down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Hill to hear speeches from Rev. Al Sharpton, activists and families of recent African American victims.
“This is about the victims,” Sharpton said, whose civil rights organization National Action Network put together the event. “This is an American march for the rights of the American people.”
Some of the participants were AU students who had been a part of the Dec. 3 die in and protest on campus. Jasmyn Shumate, a junior and President of AU’s Black Student Alliance, said she knew immediately she would participate upon learning about the march.
“It felt great to be out with a larger group of people who are all fighting for the same cause,” Shumate said, who went with a handful of friends.
Andrew Blickle, a junior in School of Public Affairs, said he felt morally obligated to go.
“I’ve been very Facebook active with these issues,” he said, “and it’s exactly what I’m studying in school.”
The ACLU participated in the ‘Justice for All’ march and handed out signs and T-shirts to protesters. PHOTO: CUNEYT DIL/THE EAGLE
The march was promoted on social media and by Sharpton. Many protesters came together by bus from cities across the East Coast.
The families of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice as well as other African American victims spoke alongside Sharpton, sharing their experiences and appreciation for the number of people who turned out for the protest.
Brown was an unarmed teen shot to death in Ferguson, Missouri, and Garner was an unarmed man put in a choke hold in New York City. Rice was a 12-year-old in Cleveland, Ohio who was shot after his toy gun was mistaken for a real gun. All three died due to the actions of a white police officer.
“It felt great to be out with a larger group of people who are all fighting for the same cause."
— Jasmyn Shumate, AU Black Student Alliance president
Garner’s wife, Esaw Garner, roused the crowd.
“My husband was a quiet man, but he’s making a lot of noise now. And our voice will be heard,” she said.
Activists also spoke about the need for police body cameras and a Department of Justice division to investigate police brutality cases, but noted the limitations of each in easing broader racial tensions within communities. Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, called on participants to engage in dialogues about injustice. Martin was an African American fatally shot by George Zimmerman in 2012.
“I challenge you to talk to someone who does not know what you’re going through,” Fulton said.
Blickle hopes the student body at AU will continue to discuss issues of race and police violence.
“I think our student leaders that have been involved have been doing an absolutely fantastic job, and I hope our student body also steps up,” Blickle said. “We simply have to make sure that people don’t forget about these cases.”
