A group of 14 students carrying signs reading “Hands up. Don’t shoot,” protested on Military Walk Monday in solidarity with Ferguson demonstrators.
On Nov. 24, a grand jury announced it would not indict Officer Darren Wilson, who in August shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man. Following the decision, protests were held in major cities including Houston, Dallas and Austin.
As the group on campus headed North on Military Walk, they chanted “Black lives matter,” “Justice for Mike Brown,” and “Hands up. Don’t shoot.” They finished in Rudder Plaza with a moment of silence and a prayer
Angela Ghazizadeh, a political science senior who organized the gathering through a public Facebook event following the grand jury’s decision, said since there were nationwide protests, she felt it was important for there to be one on the Texas A&M campus.
Ghazizadeh said, more than anything, she wanted to create an awareness for Aggies surrounding what she felt were issues of racial injustice, racism and white privilege stemming from what happened in Ferguson, Mo.
Ghazizadeh said although the decision and resulting nationwide protests happened last week, she felt the issue would continue to be relevant.
Ghazizadeh attributed the small group size to class schedule conflicts. Even with the small size of the group, she said organizers were grateful for the number of people who did show up.
“You know, it really means a lot that they came out to support them and it’s what we can do,” Ghazizadeh said. “ And it still feels like it’s not enough, but this is just the beginning of creating awareness.”
Curry O’Day, philosophy graduate student, said he heard about the protest through a flier that circulated. He said he felt there was a nationwide problem of police brutality against all citizens, but especially African Americans.
“We need to stress that this is a much broader problem than just Ferguson, Missouri. It’s happening all over the country,” O’day said. “And there are separate issues of police brutality and disproportionate police brutality against black people. Those are two issues that converge
but they’re not the same. All the citizens can be victims of police brutality. It just so happens that our country being the way it is these days, since its beginning, that this affects black people disproportionately.”
Dalitso Ruwe, philosophy graduate student, said he felt people should not assume it would be crazy to hold protests in Texas against an occurrence that happened in another part of the nation.
“Local movements always end up being a national thing,” Ruew said. “People should resist any type of injustice wherever they’re at.”
William Martinez, a political science junior who was walking past the small demonstration Monday, said he didn’t understand why the group wasn’t bigger and why the event was held a week later.
“I thought there would be more people, because something that gains such traction on a national stage tends to, especially at A&M, bring people out,” Martinez said. “I don’t know what was the delay.”
Martinez said although students have the right to exercise First Amendment rights, he felt action should be taken elsewhere than protests.
“You make your opinion known with your vote and how you talk with your elected officials,” Martinez said.