Students to protest Ferguson ruling today
Students from the USF chapter of Students for a Democratic Society joined a number of Tampa activists outside the Hillsborough County Courthouse in downtown Tampa on Nov. 25 to protest the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri. Special to the Oracle / Marisol Marquez
USF is joining the list of cities and universities protesting last week’s grand jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown.
Today at noon, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Amnesty International at USF, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee will discuss what they feel are prevalent issues related to the Ferguson grand jury decision outside Cooper Hall.
The speeches and discussion will be followed by a protest and march.
Peaceful protests and riots broke out in Ferguson, Missouri and quickly spread throughout the nation earlier this year, following the shooting of Brown, which protestors attribute to institutionalized racism within the Ferguson police force, and again last week after the grand jury decision was announced.
Protestors in New York City temporarily shut down the Triboro, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and protesters in Oakland, California temporarily shut down Interstate 580 on Nov. 25.
Veronica Juarez, a member of SDS, said the event was created to show solidarity with the protestors in Ferguson.
“This movement is important,” she said. “It’s a
repetition of an injustice that has occurred throughout history.”
Students for Justice in Palestine will speak about similarities between Palestine and Ferguson as the same weapons, including tear gas and smoke grenades, have been used against both groups.
SDS will talk about what racism is and why it still exists in this country, Juarez said, underscoring that we are a university of diverse students that need to unify.
“We aren’t going to continue to let this happen as students at USF,” Juarez said.
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