Posted on 12/21/2014 6:14:35 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
“No justice, no peace, no racist police.”
That was one of the chants the crowd of about 50 protesters shouted Saturday outside Madison Memorial High School and in the food court of West Towne Mall. The protesters gathered around 3:30 p.m. and marched from the high school to the mall, shutting down one direction of traffic on Mineral Point Road, and held a “die-in” in the mall food court.
“We are here because there are many injustices in our system,” said Brandi Grayson, one of the organizers of the protest, in the mall food court, over a megaphone.
Grayson is part of the Young Gifted and Black Coalition, which organized the event. The coalition was also involved with the protest that drew about 250 people to downtown Madison last month.
A similar protest and die-in was held last week at UW-Madison.
The Madison protests are among many nationwide responding to grand jury decisions on the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Both Brown and Garner, African-American men, died at the hands of white police officers.
Saturday’s protest was also meant to draw attention to Dane County’s racial disparities, which have been brought to light by recent studies, including last year’s “Race to Equity” report, prepared by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.
Members of the coalition say they have three demands: reallocating $8 million from the 2014 county budget intended to study jail alternatives, the immediate release of people incarcerated for crimes of poverty, and an end to solitary confinement. The Cap Times recently ran a story on the Dane County jail’s solitary confinement policies, which Sheriff Dave Mahoney called, “inhumane.”
“We live in the worst state in the United States for black men, women, and children to live in, and that, my people, is a problem,” Grayson said to the crowd of protesters on Saturday.
Organizers also intended to draw attention to low-wage jobs and discriminatory hiring practices at the mall. They handed out a list of mall vendors that have UNICOR contracts (contracts to buy products manufactured in prisons), documented low wages and no full-time benefits, and companies with noted discriminatory hiring policies and labor practices.
As the protesters walked through the mall on one of the busiest shopping days of the season, carrying two white banners – each needing about 10 people to support its full length – and protest signs, they drew raised eyebrows and stony faces from some shoppers.
As they chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police” and “We must love and protect one another, we have nothing to lose but our chains,” they got a few rhythmic nods and fist pumps from onlookers, who consistently swelled into crowds around the group. Many were shooting cell phone videos and taking pictures.
“I think it’s pretty smart for them to come to the mall,” said Akayja Retelle, 18, who was sitting in the food court during the protest. “It’s giving people a bigger picture of what’s going on in the world.”
Jack Opel, also watching from the sidelines in the food court as protesters staged their “die-in,” agreed.
“It’s just striking,” he said, commenting on how accepting mall customers were of the protest. “People know this [issue] isn’t just something people made up. It seems authentic.”
Protesters staged their “die-in” by laying on the floor of the food court, blocking many of the vendors, for about 15 minutes.
Grayson said she got a few negative comments from shoppers, and there were surly faces around, but the protest was peaceful.
Police Chief Mike Koval said protesters have been “very transparent in telling us what they hope to do, what they hope to accomplish, in order for us to be able to facilitate their march and their rally.”
Koval said he had about 20 officers present, even though there were only about 50 protesters.
“We’d rather be overprepared than underprepared,” Koval said.
Grayson said the Young Gifted and Black Coalition plans to have a “weekly action,” but there are no definite plans for more protests in Madison.
#OccupyAuntieAnnePretzels
Nothing that a few buckets of water wouldn't cure.
I’d love to go in there with a burlap bag full of snakes and throw one out at a time right on their chest as they lay there.
Morons laying on floors sends a message alright-—received quite the opposite of their deluded intentions.
Morons laying on floors sends a message alright-—received quite the opposite of their deluded intentions.<<<<<<<<
Exactly. Do any of these geniuses really think that their pathetic, juvenile and often dangerous tactics will make people slap their heads and say “Oh, wow, look at how well they block the road - I see their point now!! I completely agree with them!” Instead, those who have escaped from their parents’ basements long enough to lie on the asphalt or block the mall perpetuate stereotypes and remove all doubt that they are obviously ignorant, stupid or both.
I hope they feel good about themselves or something. The truth is the rest of America is rolling their eyes at their cr@p and probably just think this crowd needs to get busy with a real job.
GIFTED????? OMG.
She’s right......they are TURNING people racist!!
Yeah.
Some fool gifted her a megaphone, and suddenly she has stuff to say.
(Keep in mind who does the measuring on that 'gifted' stuff.)
Especially the white idiots who support black racists who hate their guts. They will think they are cool right up until the hammer smashes their teeth out.
I almost staged a die-in at the mall food court after eating at Great Khans.
” Nothing that a few buckets of water wouldn’t cure. “
Ice COLD freakin water!
How ITF is this allowed on private property ?
‘#OccupyAuntieAnnePretzels’
Bwaaa-Haaa-Haa!
crowd of about 50 protesters
..................................
Wow, all 50 of them?
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