NEWS

Louisville Ferguson protest draws hundreds

Allison Ross

@allisonSross

Nearly 300 miles from where a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo., declined to indict a police officer for shooting an unarmed black teenager, hundreds of protestors pounded the pavement in Louisville in protest, blocking traffic at times and chanting "no justice, no peace."

The peaceful crowd of more than 300 started the protest in front of Louisville Metro Police headquarters on Seventh Street around 5 p.m., holding signs decrying police brutality or arguing for body cams. A little more than half an hour in, the group headed on a circuitous route around downtown.

Brandon Herring, one of the organizers of the event, noted that, at least at one point, the majority of the protestors were white. "This shows how important this issue is for our society," he said.

He said he went to Ferguson last month and said he wanted to create a bridge between Ferguson and Louisville so both cities could talk about issues. "I'm tired of police profiling happening in my community," Herring said.

The large crowd tried to cross Market Street near Fifth Street shortly before 6 p.m. Some of the group continued on, while another contingent stopped in the street, blocking traffic until police asked the crowd to disperse. One man was arrested after lying down in the street and refusing to move.

The two groups continued marching on, with one group stopping at the KFC Yum! Center before joining the other group at Fourth Street Live. LMPD officers maintained a watchful eye on the protestors, with some officers wearing riot gear, but the protest stayed peaceful.

"Our officers were available to follow with them and make sure no one was going to run them over," said LMPD spokesman Sgt. Phil Russell. "It was peaceful."

On Monday, a grand jury declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

The announcement of the grand jury's choice sparked rallies and protests across the nation Monday evening and Tuesday and reignited debates about use of police force, racial profiling and the justice system.

Some Louisville protestors called for police to wear body cameras. Others asked for a citizens council on police accountability.

Paloma Smith, a student at Jefferson Community and Technical College, cried as she held up a sign that read, "How to get away with murder: be a cop."

She said she was crying because she couldn't fathom the profiling and racism black men in America must deal with all the time, even though she said she is sometimes discriminated against for being poor and a woman.

She said it's frustrating to see some of her friends "act like what happened in Ferguson was not a race issue."

She said more education needs to be done about social inequality and social issues.

"Let's start with the schools," she said.

Jibriyll Izsrael said that this peaceful protest shows what good can come of people coming together.

"A white guy I never met bought me a large cup of coffee," he said. "That is America. We need to stand in solidarity, and don't use this as an excuse to resort to petty crimes or violence. ... Situations like this can bring us together."

Reporter Allison Ross can be reached at (502) 582-4241. Follow her on Twitter at @allisonSross.