INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosiers gathered at Monument Circle demanding change Saturday afternoon.
“What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now,” chanted rally attendees.
In the last two weeks, body camera footage was released of two black men dying after encounters with police: Tyre Nichols in Memphis and Herman Whitfield III in Indianapolis.
The Marion County Coroner ruled Whitfield died of a heart attack after police stunned him with an electrical device, handcuffed him, and placed him face down as he complained that he couldn’t breathe. The coroner listed Whitfield’s manner of death as homicide.
”Say his name, Herman Whitefield the III,” chanted rally attendees.
Hoosiers say they gathered in Monument Circle to call attention to police brutality and violence.
”If we are not out here and this falls out of public consciousness, then it is going to be another year until the next person gets murdered by police. We are not here for that. We need justice for these people now,” said Noah Leininger with Indianapolis Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Attendees say they have to call for action now to protect our children.
”Our children are our future,” said Preschool Teacher Doris Jones. “We have to educate our kids. Educate our kids in school and teach our kids that it is okay to be different.”
Jones brought her daughter, Rosetta, to the rally.
”We should give these people one last chance because they don’t deserve to be dead,” said Rosetta.
Although the crowd loved her spirit, they say it isn’t fair.
”It is also disheartening that a child has to spend her free time to come out here and speak on issues of public safety,” said Stephen Lane, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Hoosiers say they need to rally together more than ever before.
”We need to build a mass movement of not just thousands of people but hundreds of thousands, millions in this country to really affect real change,” said Leininger.
Leininger and others say the IMPD officers involved who were placed on administrative duties are not enough.
”We want to see indictments. We want to see convictions,” said Leininger.
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