An estimated 400 students and staff at Princeton University participated in a campus walkout and die-in Thursday, according to the demonstration’s organizers. It was just one of many campus protests across the country in response to the announcement Wednesday evening that a grand jury would not indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July 17 choking death of Eric Garner. “As black students at an elite university, our black bodies are not safeguarded from police brutality,” said Wilglory Tanjong, a Princeton undergrad and activist, in a statement. “We are one interaction, one bullet away from becoming another hashtag. When a black man is murdered on camera, and nothing happens, it is time to end any spirit of complacency.” Thursday’s demonstrations came after last …
An estimated 400 students and staff at Princeton University participated in a campus walkout and die-in Thursday, according to the demonstration’s organizers. It was just one of many campus protests across the country in response to the announcement Wednesday evening that a grand jury would not indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the July 17 choking death of Eric Garner.
“As black students at an elite university, our black bodies are not safeguarded from police brutality,” said Wilglory Tanjong, a Princeton undergrad and activist, in a statement. “We are one interaction, one bullet away from becoming another hashtag. When a black man is murdered on camera, and nothing happens, it is time to end any spirit of complacency.”
Thursday’s demonstrations came after last week’s protests over a separate grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August. Students have continued to organize in protest of that decision, staging die-ins, walkouts and moments of silence.
Students at the University of Texas at Austin held a massive protest and die-in Thursday. Demonstrators invoked the name of Larry Jackson, an unarmed black man who was killed in June 2013 by Charles Kleinert, then an Austin police detective. Kleinert retired from the force that October and was indicted this May for Jackson’s death. His pre-trial hearing has been postponed four times, according to The Daily Texan. Jackson’s sister is scheduled to speak on the UT campus Thursday evening.
Center of UT campus closed #BlackLivesMatter Pressure on Austin DA Lehmberg to put APD Detective Kleinert on trial pic.twitter.com/2dWjm9kbe0
— Ben Carrington (@BenHCarrington) December 4, 2014
Can’t recall an event like this at @UTAustin in a long time. Proud of these students and allies. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/8JnYCpb8NM
— Dr. Richard Reddick (@DrRichReddick) December 4, 2014
And on this day, I’ve never been so proud of being a Longhorn m/ #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/fdjm8QSxnL
— Ashley Spencer (@theTrackQueen) December 4, 2014
At Hampton University, a historically black school in Hampton, Virginia, students marched to City Hall chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and staged a die-in outside the building. Hampton Mayor George Wallace came out to speak to protesters.
Here are images from some of the other campuses participating.
MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
@HuffPostCollege students at Missouri State University protest. pic.twitter.com/nhenWjnan7
— Nate Slaughter (@NateSoGreat08) December 4, 2014
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
Protest here at UNT’s library mall #BlackLivesMatter #MomentOfSilence pic.twitter.com/7U0wGZefsE
— Justin (@_JToni) December 4, 2014
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
Mike Brown Protest in progress on Liacouras Walk, students speak out against #FergusonDecision #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/rrtHofkMak
— Temple Update (@TempleUpdate) December 4, 2014
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
Students leave the library in silence at today’s #BlackLivesMatter protest @penn_state to applause. @HuffPostCollege pic.twitter.com/6tcYiFjcOs
— 3rd Way Collective (@3rdWayCo) December 4, 2014
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
@HuffPostCollege Hofstra university die in pic.twitter.com/NNSZJ3Q6XI
— Sara-Rivka Bass (@sarivka) December 4, 2014
EMORY UNIVERSITY
Students and #Emory community members lie on the ground in a die-in protest as part of #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/5OBWCrAxHj
— Emory University (@EmoryUniversity) December 4, 2014
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College Students Greet Eric Garner Decision Already Primed For Protest