About 200 people rally on Ohio State’s campus to protest Ferguson decision, police brutality

Rubina Kapil
Tue, 09 Dec 2014 05:17:08 +0000
Area, Campus, Crime, Local, Multimedia, National, News, Photos, Video, columbus police, Ferguson decision, ohio state, osu, Oval rally, police brutality, Rally

Timothy Singratsomboune (center), an OSU student in comparative studies, speaks to a group of protesters gathered for a protest rally called ‘Columbus to Ferguson,’ in front of Thompson Library on Dec. 8. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters gather together before a Ferguson protest rally Dec. 8 on the Oval. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters, opposing the Ferguson decision and police brutality. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters gather together before a Ferguson protest rally Dec. 8 on the Oval. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters, opposing the Ferguson decision and police brutality. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters begin to march in a Ferguson protest rally Dec. 8 on the Oval. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters, opposing the Ferguson decision and police brutality. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters tote signs along with them during a Ferguson protest rally on the Oval. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters, opposing the Ferguson decision and police brutality. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A group of Ferguson rally protesters march on the South Oval on Dec. 8 toward their first stop at Goodale Park in Victorian Village. The group marched from the Oval to Goodale Park and then to Columbus Police headquarters, opposing the Ferguson decision and police brutality. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A Ferguson protest rally stops at 12th Avenue near Hale Hall for 4.5 minutes of silence. The significance of 4.5 minutes is relative to the 4.5 hours that the late Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo., laid on the ground before any response from authorities, according to a New York Times article. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters in a Ferguson protest rally hold their hands up near Hayes Hall on Dec. 8 during a march ending at Columbus Police headquarters. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters turn the corner of North High Street and 12th Avenue to march toward Goodale Park and Columbus Police headquarters. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A Ferguson protest rally march turns right on West Russell Street as they near Goodale Park for a stop on their schedule. Police authorities blocked off the road to allow the protesters to continue toward the destination. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A Ferguson protest rally treks from North High Street in the Short North toward downtown Columbus on Dec. 8. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters turn from North High Street onto Long Street on their way toward Columbus Police headquarters on Dec. 8. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester stands with his arms up above a crowd outside of Columbus Police headquarters during a Dec. 8 Ferguson protest rally. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester stands with his arms up above a crowd outside of Columbus Police headquarters during a Dec. 8 Ferguson protest rally. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester stands with his arm raised above a crowd outside of Columbus Police headquarters during a Dec. 8 Ferguson protest rally. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters with signs gather in front of Columbus Police headquarters during a Ferguson protest rally Dec. 8 in response to recent events in Ferguson, Mo. and Long Island, New York. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester screams out as he holds his sign during a Columbus to Ferguson rally Dec. 8 in front of Columbus Police headquarters. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester holds a sign up in front of Columbus Police headquarters Dec. 8 during a rally responding to recent events in places such as Ferguson, M.O. and Long Island, N.Y. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

A protester holds a sign up in front of Columbus Police headquarters Dec. 8 during a rally responding to recent events in places such as Ferguson, M.O. and Long Island, N.Y. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters stand above a crowd with their signs during a Ferguson protest rally Dec. 8 outside Columbus Police headquarters. Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

Protesters take to the Oval on Dec. 8 to take a stand against the Ferguson decision and police brutality.
Credit: Yann Schreiber / Lantern reporter

“From Ferguson to Columbus, we demand justice!” protesters chanted on the Oval.

A group gathered at the green space at 4:30 p.m. on Monday to rally in protest of the Ferguson decision and other instances of police brutality. Organizers estimated there were about 200 people in attendance.

“I’m really glad the OSU community came out so strong today,” Timothy Singratsomboune, a fourth-year in ethnic studies, said. “We want to show the Columbus P.D., the OSU campus P.D. and the city government that the whole community takes this issue very seriously and it’s not just one or two of us.”

Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man, was fatally shot by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9. It was announced on Nov. 24 that Wilson will not face criminal charges.

Since the decision, protests have broken out across the country and other instances of minority death by police force have come to light.

Two examples include those of Eric Garner and Aiyana Jones. Garner died July 17 after a New York City police officer put him in a chokehold when he was suspected of selling single cigarettes. Jones, who was 7, was killed after being shot during a raid from by the Detroit Police Department on May 16, 2010.

Singratsomboune encouraged all to “demand real, structural changes to the system.”

The rally included several student speakers who listed all given natural rights, names of individuals killed by police brutality and the four major demands of the movement.

“We are delivering a letter to the Columbus Police station demanding four things: an independent civilian review board, demilitarization of the police, community-based patrolling in Columbus, and supervised training of the police force,” Aziza Allen, a second-year in international relations and diplomacy, said.

Protesters took to downtown Columbus on Nov. 25 in a separate rally to deliver a letter to the Internal Affairs Bureau of Columbus Police demanding for a functional, independently acting review board to keep an eye on the activity of the Columbus Police.

Present at the rally Monday were not only those directly affected by police brutality, but students supporting the cause as allies as well.

“I believe black lives matter,” said Sophie Shiloh, a fourth-year in international relations. “Allies have been asked to do our part and support the cause, and I believe it is important that we follow the lead of the people to create change.”

The rally was followed by a march to the Hale Black Cultural Center on campus, where the students observed 4? minutes of silence in honor of Brown. They then marched north on High Street to join other Columbus activists for a larger rally at Goodale Park.

About 700 activists were expected to attend the rally at Goodale Park, Allen said.

“We need to show how many students this effects and ultimately raise awareness about how prevalent this issue is in Columbus,” Shiloh said.