Kean Joins NYC to Protest Garner Decision
By Nicole Brown
Kean University’s faculty and students peacefully protested on campus December 3, mirroring protests in New York City after a grand jury failed to indict a police officer in the strangling death of Eric Garner.
Garner died in Staten Island in July after a New York City Police officer put him in a choke-hold for allegedly selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. The incident was captured in a video of the incident that went viral.
The Kean protest began around 10:45 p.m. and about 150 protesters who were mainly students circled the campus including the Dorm quad, Library and the University Center chanting “no justice, no sleep” and “black lives matter.”
According to one of the organizers, Charles Curtis III, the primary objective of the protest was to bring awareness to the Kean community and remind themselves that the African American spirit has not been broken.
“We are still segregated,” said Curtis III. “Things are keeping us down. We are the next generation and we are conscious of the system.”
Jamine Pringle, an early childhood and Criminal Justice major said it is obvious that black people are separated and treated differently.
“The laws were not written for black people,” said Pringle. “Therefore, the law cannot protect those it was not written for.”
Curtis III said that the protest was organized through social media and it will remain peaceful. Another protest is scheduled for Thursday December 11 during college hour, he said.
“We will continue to protest until we see results, until the police officer is indicted for murder,” said Curtis III. “We want to spread it, we have been dealing with this for too long.”