KALAMAZOO, Mich. – More than 100 students gathered on the campus of Western Michigan University to protest a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
“We just want to show our voices aren’t being heard by our justice system and that’s the reason for the silent protest,” said Jordan Barnett, a WMU student. “We’re covering our mouths to show that we aren’t being heard.”
The group — mouths taped shut, holding signs — attracted dozens of onlookers.
“I think it’s important that we do it in a peaceful way because violence is seen as barbaric, as animal-like,” explained Victoria Smith, a junior at WMU. “That’s not what we are as people. We are intelligent and we can figure out ways to go around and to change the laws and the policies that are put in place.”
Among the policies some students are hoping to change is to make it mandatory for police officers to wear body cameras.
“Moving forward, there will always be things people from one side or the other don’t agree with, but as long as we can find a majority that we all agree on, I feel the chest cam is something we can all agree on because right or wrong — no matter what happens — we know exactly what happens in the situation and that’s something nobody can fight,” Barnett explained. “The truth is on camera.”
Students are also looking to enact change on campus and in their community.
“The momentum that we have today is fueled into the committee we created this morning,” said Smith. “The committee is going to be a diversity and justice committee and where injustices are committed in Kalamazoo, on campus and around the United States can be brought here and we can look at ways moving forward they can be changed.”
