Œlje
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jportlanò (Obsertier
November 26, 2014
Decision Ignites Protests
the march but cannot physically
attend are welcome to donate on the
carrying signs in support of gun NAACP’s national website. Dona
violence victims including Brown. tio n s w ill go to h elp in g the
When the Ferguson verdict was organization’s efforts to promote
announced that Wilson would walk racial justice on behalf of people of
free, many of the students expressed color in the United States.
sadness and outrage.
President Obama also followed
Sam Matz, a black student activ the announcement with a statement
ist who sat watching the announce broadcast on live TV, asking Ameri
ment, said, “I feel like it should hurt cans to refrain from rioting or en
less. But every time it’s devastat- gaging in violent protest.
mg.
“We are nation built on the rule
Other students expressed a futil of law,” he offered. “We need to
ity in their demands for justice.
accept this was a decision that was
“I’m sad, but not surprised,” said the grand jury’s to make.” He later
Tessara Dudley, a black writer and addressed the aggrieved commu
student. “It’s like our lives don’t nity of Ferguson, stating, “What is
matter, like they never mattered.”
also true is that there are problems
“We know justice doesn't exist, and that communities of color aren’t
but to see the blatant lack of regard just making those problems up.”
for black people on an openly public
Attorney General Eric Holder
fo rm at, te lls us n o th in g has managed to end the night with hope
changed,” said student activist for another path to justice in the
Phoenix Singer. “Different era, dif Missouri case, announcing that “the
ferent rhetoric, same results.”
Justice Department’s investigation
Cornell William Brooks, national into the shooting of Mike Brown
president of the NAACP, made a remains ongoing.” He added that
call M onday night for activists “those who decide to participate in
across the country to join them on demonstrations should remember Dr. Derrais Carter, assistant professor o f Black Studies at
a 120mile, 7 day march to Missouri’s the wishes of Michael Brown's par Portland State University, defines oppression at a rally a t PSU
capital city, entitled “Journey for ents, who have asked that remem Monday night that was organized as a call for ju stice in the death
Justice: Ferguson to Jefferson City.” brances of their son be conducted o f Michael Brown, the unarmed teenager killed during a confronta
The march is set to begin on peacefully.
tion with police in Ferguson, Missouri.
Saturday, Nov. 29, and continue
“It does not honor his memory to
from the foot of the Canfield Green engage in violence or looting. In the plays— and uses— of force.”
to indict Officer Wilson in this case
Apartments in Ferguson, where coming days, it will likewise be im
Local responses have varied as is a travesty o f justice.”
Brown was shot dead, to Missouri portant for local law enforcement well. Rev. Dr. LeRoy Hayes Jr. of the
“We in Portland have had many
G ov. Jay N ix o n ’s m ansion in authorities to respect the rights of Albina Ministerial Alliance Coali Michael Browns - Kendra James,
Jefferson City.
demonstrators, and deescalate ten tion for Justice and Police Reform Jahar Perez, Aaron Campbell, James
Portlanders who want to support sions by avoiding excessive dis said, “The failure of the grand jury Chasse - so we know how impor
tant it is to bring officers to justice
when they have used excessive and
deadly force,” Haynes said.
Portland M ayor Charlie Hales
also issued a statem ent, acknow l
edging that Portland will have to
accom m odate its protestors.
“We are fully prepared to sup
port the people who choose to
publicly dem onstrate. W e will
work to facilitate safety for all dem
onstrations,” Hales said.
Truly making a difference in the lives o f
The m ayor said Portland m ust
Auto A ccident victims and Injured W orkers for nearly 20 years.
also address the system ic prob
continued
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lems o f distrust that are occurring
between police and people o f color
all across the country, including
Portland.
“The situation in Ferguson did
not occur in a vacuum. All o f our
com m unity is hurting today. And,
together, all of our com m unity
m ust begin healing. We, as a so
ciety, have a lot o f work to do
addressing the system ic inequi
ties history has left us. We are
working to address those inequi
ties in Portland with the Black
M ale A ch iev em en t In itiativ e;
Sum m erW orks internship p ro
gram ; Ban the Box; a felony-hir
ing incentive; and by working to
build com m unity trust in the po
lice bureau. The city, and all our
public institutions, must work to
address these issues."
Audrey Terrell, president of the
Portland chapter of the NAACP,
called for the Portland law enforce
ment to take note of the civil unrest
that is caused by the use o f exces
sive and deadly force aggressed
toward communities of color.
“The Portland Police D epart
m ent needs to know - we will not
sit and tolerate such acts o f injus
tice on our home front. Ferguson
shouldn’t, and we will not either,”
she said.
A g ro u p o f p r o te s to r s in
Ferguson w rote a letter to the
public, and it was read aloud in
solidarity at the end o f the an
nouncem ent at PSU by student
M ariah Leewright.
The letter ends with a state
m ent on the sorrow the Ferguson
experienced in the wake o f the
shooting:
“Grief, even in its m ost righ
teous state, cannot last forever.
No com m unity can sustain itself
this way. So we still continue to
stand fo r p ro g ress, and stand
alongside anyone who will make a
personal investm ent in ending our
grief and will take a personal stake
in achieving justice. We m arch on
with purpose. The work contin
ues. This is not a m om ent but a
movem ent. The m ovem ent lives.”
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