Bryan Palacio / Assistant News Director
Monday morning was the first day of college for thousands of scheduled freshmen— but one of them had his funeral instead.
Protesters rallied at the Torch of Friendship in Downtown Miami on Sunday Aug. 24, for a demonstration supporting the on-going situation in Ferguson, Missouri where a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, who was scheduled to attend Vatterott College.
Among the group of participants was Gordon Kingston, senior history major and president of the Florida Student Union at the University.
“As students it’s important we show support for Mike Brown and try to find justice for him because on Monday morning it would’ve been his first day of college but instead it’s his funeral,” said Kingston.
In Ferguson, daily non-violent protests transform into nightly clashes with police armed with riot gear and militarized weaponry. In Miami, signs filled the sidewalk where the organizers assembled to spread their message, while six police cars watched carefully from across the street.
“Hands down, don’t shoot,” screamed a group of protesters with their arms raised to the sky, making sure their homemade signs were clearly visible to on-coming traffic.
“At the end of the day we really do have power,” said Kingston. “Us as students, as people, as human beings, we all have power. We need to exert this power to make a free, just society.”
The rally started at 4 p.m. with attendees lining up the side of Biscayne Boulevard. Signs and banners were waved at cars slowly creeping by, and bull horns blared with the sounds of chants and demands.
“No justice, no peace. No racist police,” was among many of the crowd favorites.
Overall it was a very peaceful demonstration. Bystanders would frequently stop and take pictures and videos, very often engaging in talks with many of the participants.
“We want to show our support in a real way,” said David O’Connor, member of the One Struggle, an anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist initiative, which helped plan the event along with other organizations such as the People’s Opposition, an anti-war group.
“We want to stop black death. We want to stop unjustified black death by the cops. It happens time and again and it shouldn’t happen.”
The demonstration also included a speech segment where a few participants took the time to address everyone and thank them as a group. It even included one protester who used the opportunity to read an essay she wrote while being there. After firing up the troops, it was back to the sidewalk for some more good old-fashion assembly.
About two hours in, the event winded down when a group of three protesters started to get into a heated exchange with the police.
The protestors, wearing Guy Fawkes masks, walked out onto the street blocking traffic holding a banner that read “Anonymous Miami,” referencing the hacker-activist group known for its politically based cyber-attacks on government, religious, and corporate websites.
They argued that the police cruisers, which were parked on the far right lane of the street, were illegally blocking traffic.
That’s all organizers needed to call it a day. Acknowledging the turmoil between protesters and police in Ferguson, they wanted to distance themselves from the altercation as the three protesters continued their rally across the street.
Their final words echoed the gravity of the situation, both in Ferguson and elsewhere in the country.
“Everyone be safe and don’t do anything stupid.”
bryan.palacio@fiusm.com
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