Kzoo protests police violence
On Sunday afternoon, a police officer in a suburb of Minneapolis shot and killed an unarmed, 20-year-old Black man after a traffic stop. That comes at the same time as a jury is hearing arguments in the trial of the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd last May.
On Monday in Kalamazoo, activists and city leaders gathered to mourn the death of Daunte Wright and reignite the calls for justice in the face of police brutality.
“We are here tonight because of the loss of a young man in Minnesota, Daunte Wright. I want to recognize that and stand together and mourn the loss,” said Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson during the Monday evening gathering.
The renewed protests come at an awkward time for Kalamazoo. This is the first time a major protest of police misconduct has been held in the city since a neofascist rally devolved into violence last August.
That event prompted the firing of Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas and the re-evaluation of the department’s handling of protests and rallies.
New Public Safety Chief Vernon Coakley also spoke at Monday’s event and denounced the killing in Minnesota.
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