Friday, January 30, 2009
To protest all forms of oppression, from police brutality to military occupation, KU students and volunteers at Solidarity Revolutionary Center and Radical Library will lead a march at 7 p.m. Saturday starting at South Park in downtown Lawrence.
The march, called March Against State Murders, is meant to connect police killing innocent civilians in the U.S. to military occupations of other communities around the world. Flyers for the march read “From Athens to Augusta, from Gaza to Oakland, we do mind dying,” reflecting the various deaths that inspired the march, said the march’s co-organizers, Dave Schneider and Colin Immenschuh.
Sarah Brown, Topeka sophomore, said she had a long list of reasons for joining the march. She said she hoped it would bring awareness to people who otherwise might not know about the most recent killings in Athens and Gaza. Brown said she hoped those who participated would feel empowered to work toward longer term goals and projects in Lawrence.
Photo Gallery
March Against Killings
A photo gallery of a march against killings and police violence in Lawrences South Park on Massachusetts street.
“I will not stand by silently as young black men continue to be murdered at the hands of the police,” Brown said. “I will not sit by idly as the Israeli state wages war on the people of Palestine. Our fists and voices will be raised in the streets this Saturday and the cry that is heard in Lawrence will echo out to those in Oakland, Augusta, Gaza, Greece, and everywhere that humans are oppressed and impoverished by the hand of the state.”
Immenschuh, a volunteer at Solidarity, said the march was in protest of the recent deaths of Oscar Grant, Oakland, Calif., Justin Elmore, Augusta, Ga., and Alexis-Andreas Grigoropoulos, Athens, Greece, who were all killed by police in the last two months. The co-organizers said the march is also protesting the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians killed in Gaza.
“I hope the march shows there are a lot of people who are outraged at continual occupation and communities being destroyed by the Israeli state and the U.S.” Immenschuh said, “I hope our community has the power to voice this rage and link these things together.”
Brown said she felt the only Jewish voices represented in regards to the violence against the Palestinian people were those of Zionists, while many other Jews and Israelis, like Brown, stand against the state of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and the treatment of the Palestinian people.
“It was not so long ago that my own family faced walled ghettos, mass murder, and horrendous oppression in the name of a state,” Brown said, “I will never sit silently by and allow that to happen to anyone again.”
Schneider, a volunteer at Solidarity, said he helped organize the march because of his extreme anger and frustration with the social, political and economic systems in place.
Schneider said the march was meant to show support and unity with movements across the globe responding to state violence such as the protests in the cities where the civilians were murdered.
“We hope to create a feeling of collectivity and empowerment, where our power as a collection of people can be physically felt and manifested,” Schneider said, “I want to show people that others are taking the mechanisms of state power head on, and we can too. And, more importantly, when we act together, we can be unstoppable.”
The route of the march will be decided Saturday night, and will be determined by how many people join.
— — Edited by Liz Schubauer
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Comments
Protesters to march against killings
If you want to take on the mechanism of state power head on you could always learn how to use a rifle and buy yourself a plane ticket to a hot spot.
Protesters to march against killings
Sarah, far more young black men are killed by other young black men in this country. Perhaps you should be working with at risk youths rather than symbolically marching on Lawrence.
Second, who is marching against Hamas firing rockets into Israel with no discretion? How about a march against Uncontrolled Aggression from State Sponsored Terrorism?
Finally, is anyone really still saying that Iraq was better off with Saddam than it is today? Than it can be in 10 years? If George Washington had given up at Valley Forge, what would have happened to the American Revelation? Iraq has more schools, running water and ELECTIONS. It has less violence, a military it can trust won't kidnap people from their homes and the right to practice religion freely. These are good things and they came at the hands of Americans giving their lives for that cause.
Protesters to march against killings
Thank you for bringing up all those points, Abita. You saved me a lot of time just now!
Protesters to march against killings
Can someone explain why the hell you would protest this in Lawrence? It's not topical for this area at all.
Protesters to march against killings
Someone is feeling a bit full of themselves. I think the people who are indulging in this protest are posing as revolutionaries. They like the picture of themselves of challenging the establishment with fists (good image to protest violence) and innocent faces shining with justice. This will reverberate around the world? Not.
Protesters to march against killings
Unfortunately and amazingly, Iraq was much better off under Hussein. There was actually far less violence, of all kinds. Our country destroyed all types of infrastructure during the invasion, of course neccessitating the "humanitarian" rebuilding of the country we destroyed. Christians and other non-Muslims were persecuted less, and following the disorder imposed by the U.S. have had to fear for their lives. The University has failed you all. Or has it? But of course, all of this falls on deaf ears; the self-styled newspaper comment experts indulging in anonymous bashing from their armchairs would never be so egotistical as to "indulge" in bringing their message to the street, as millions have worldwide to display their popular power effectively. I gues we should all just get degrees!
Protesters to march against killings
WHOA! Watch out for rcb. The Birkenstocks are off!
Protesters to march against killings
phoenix good one!
Protesters to march against killings
I don't have time to argue with this right now, but let me just say:
" the self-styled newspaper comment experts indulging in anonymous bashing from their armchairs"
-Says the self-styled newspaper comment expert indulging in anonymous bashing.
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