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Demonstrators Gather At Justice Center To Decry Black Deaths

Rapper Jasiri X from Pittsburg (credit: Brian Bull)
Rapper Jasiri X from Pittsburg (credit: Brian Bull)

Protestors demonstrated in downtown Cleveland Today/ Monday.  They wanted to keep attention on a number of local cases involving police and the African American Community.  ideastream’s Brian Bull reports roughly four dozen activists took their message to the Justice Center.

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Art McKoy of the Black Man’s Army parked his black, red, and green bus in front of the Center.  He spoke over its PA system to demand justice for two unarmed black suspects involved in a cross town chase in November 2012. Cleveland Police fired 137 gunshots at them.


Demonstrators with flags at Justice Center (credit: Brian Bull)

And Officer Michael Brelo is currently on trial for their deaths.

“We don’t want no slap on the wrist, we want Brelo convicted of manslaughter!” said Brelo.

Samaria Rice, along with her legal team, also made an appearance to express frustration that there are still no developments in their case.  It’s been five months since a rookie officer shot and killed her son Tamir who had an air pellet gun at a Cleveland park.

Jasiri X, a rapper from Pittsburgh, rattled off names of other African-Americans who died at the hands of police, including a local woman with a mental illness who died in police custody.

“Tanisha Anderson, she got a name too!  Tamir Rice, she got a name, too!” I pray to God that they will never name you,” he told the cheering crowd. 

Alice Ragland, of the Ohio Student Association, lead the demonstrators in further chants. 

“No justice!  No peace!  No Justice!  No peace!  No Justice!  No Peace!” they repeated.

The two-hour demonstration was vocal, but peaceful.