Thousands of people across the United States walked out of work and classrooms for a nationwide day of action dubbed ‘Hands Up, Walk Out!’ The protest comes after a grand jury declined to indict an officer for killing a black teenager.
The organizers β driven primarily by young people β spread the word online via the hashtag #HandsUpWalkOut, asking people to walk out in solidarity with those affected by police violence in Ferguson, Missouri, and around the country.
The walkouts occurred simultaneously at 12 p.m. CST and referenced the ‘Hands Up! Don’t Shoot!’ chant that has been used as a rallying cry all over the US ever since African American teenager Michael Brown, 18, was fatally shot by Officer Darren Wilson on August 9.
The campaign also remembered other people lost to police violence, including John Crawford III, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, Israel Hernandez, Oscar Grant, Ezell Ford, and Ramarley Graham.
Additionally, the campaign comes with a list of demands: an end to all forms of discrimination, the full recognition of human rights, justice for Michael Brown, and freedom for all communities.
http://youtu.be/Hy7xLWN5s4c
Specifically, organizers want the US government to “acknowledge and address structural violence and institutional discrimination that continues to imprison our communities either in a life of poverty and/or one behind bars. We want the United States Government to recognize the full spectrum of our human rights and its obligations under international law.”
They are also calling for βan immediate end to police brutality and the murder of black, brown & all oppressed people,” full employment, decent housing, quality education and affordable college education, an end to the prison industrial complex, and a de-militarization of local law enforcement.
There were protests in major cities:
Chicago, Illinois:
Protesters in Chicago march toward downtown colleges and universities #Ferguson – @OccupyChicago pic.twitter.com/VQkiexIij1
— NewsBreaker (@NewsBreaker) December 1, 2014
Los Angeles, California:
https://twitter.com/ABC7Robert/status/539507723465785344
Washington, DC:
Obama preparing executive order on police militarization http://t.co/VsBia0G7Sr #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/qGWOi7iGSa
— DW News (@dwnews) December 1, 2014
New York City:
#HandsUpWalkOut NYC is swelling. And so is the police presence. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/1ITl6qgCr5
— Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) December 1, 2014
At many college campuses, students rallied or had “die-ins.” At Boston University, Massachusetts:
#HandsUpWalkout #Boston #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/wcroDDXRJv
— Issa (@Issa_nm) December 1, 2014
https://twitter.com/Crystalsees/status/539491665908891648
At Harvard University:
https://twitter.com/dechristopher/status/539488936976859136
At Stanford University, California:
#Stanford stands with #Ferguson. Pic via @_claraluu We'll be talking #HandsUpWalkout today on @thisisfusion http://t.co/WCBMCsIo9O
— Mariana Atencio (@marianaatencio) December 1, 2014
At Yale University, Connecticut:
Students of @Yale in solidarity with #Ferguson http://t.co/NBxIoZ6GXh. We're talking about #handsupwalkout today on @ThisIsFusion
— Mariana Atencio (@marianaatencio) December 1, 2014
Clayton High School, St. Louis:
https://twitter.com/chsglobe/status/539491605422813184
Hyde Park High School, Boston:
2 photos, 1 building: Hyde Park HS, 1974 integration of @BostonSchools & students of @NMHS_TITANS for #HandsUpWalkout pic.twitter.com/SlYjzduhmz
— Mr. Ratnayake (@MrRatPhysics) December 1, 2014
And middle school students cancelled club meetings at a Hill Valley school in California:
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/539495408997642240
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/539507501960400896
Even employees walked out of work in some cases. At Ebony Magazine in New York City:
The @EBONYMag Digital &Fashion-Print NYC team are in full support of the #HandsUpWalkOut movement: pic.twitter.com/eVp4JjDqE8
— EBONY MAGAZINE (@EBONY) December 1, 2014
At the Arab American Association of New York, Brooklyn:
Feeling emotional at our #HandsUpWalkout in #BayRidge #Brooklyn. #JusticeForMikeBrown pic.twitter.com/uQH8bu5md8
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) December 1, 2014
At the AFL-CIO in St. Louis:
https://twitter.com/JessLivMo/status/539482834894065666
At the AFT Union, Washington, DC:
Teachers Union RT @AFTunion We stand in solidarity with those who seek justice. #HandsUpWalkout #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/ey6tIKAjPQ
— Revolution News (@NewsRevo) December 1, 2014
Source: RT