Second Die-In Protest Held in Front of Old Main
Members of the Black Leadership Union and numerous others staged a die-in at the steps of Old Main today to protest a St. Louis County grand jury’s choice not to indict officer Darren Wilson.
The die-in comes a day after students staged a comparable protest in the HUB. Today, students made their way from the Paul Robeson Cultural Center in the bottom floor of the HUB to the steps of Old Main while chanting “no justice, no peace” and “hands up, don’t shoot.”
The protesters fell from their feet to their backs for 45 minutes in wet and cold conditions to symbolize the four-and-a-half hours Michael Brown’s body laid in the street.
Students are performing another die-in to protest the Ferguson decision, this time at Old Main. pic.twitter.com/UPgl0qnr3Q
— Onward State (@OnwardState) December 3, 2014
Wednesday’s die-in had an added meaning to many of the students who, this time, felt they were representing more than inequality and injustice.
“[The comments on] Yik Yak and Twitter were ignorant. It wasn’t progressive. If you don’t agree with the movement, say you don’t agree and ask us why we’re doing it,” said Jerrie Johnson, one of the leaders of the protest.
Johnson was referring to vitriolic comments made on social media after yesterday’s die-in occurred. “To call us monkeys, to call us orangutans, to call us shit…that’s taking it to a whole new level.”
While most of the people that came across the peaceful protest simply walked by, there were numerous students that joined the group on the ground. Although he didn’t join in on the demonstration, President Barron took the time to observe the crowd and acknowledge the hateful comments that were made the day prior.
“We know over and over again [the negative comments] just divide. It doesn’t solve anything. It just divides and makes things worse. It always makes things worse.”
President Barron stands in the ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot’ pose with Ferguson protestors (Photo: Mildred Williams) pic.twitter.com/Xh0QNC9QVU — Onward State (@OnwardState) December 3, 2014
The University did not approve each protest, although the demonstrators were not stopped on either occasion. Thursday’s protest is scheduled to begin at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at noon and move to the library.
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