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Student Protestors Raise Awareness Of Police Involved Violence
< < Back toStudents gathered in Baker Center Friday, holding up banners protesting recent high profile cases of police involved killings.
Students like Oliver Stone say they hope to get people thinking on Ohio University's campus.
"The Banner is more so just raising awareness and trying to get people to think about this stuff" Said Stone.
He says he just wants people to understand.
Students also held signs with sayings like "I can't breathe" in support of Eric Garner.
On July 17th Garner was said to have been illegally selling cigarettes.
He later died when NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokeholds
His death was ruled as a homicide, however on Wednesday a grand jury decided not to indict Pantaleo.
This spurredrallies around the nation.
Students like Oliver Stone aren't taking the decision lightly.
"We're uspset over it, we're highly upset over it," said Stone "we're words I can't use right now over it."
Students also wore the signs as they walked around campus.
Junior Olivia Wallace says she hopes seeing these signs this continue a conversation in the community.
"I think these conversations are really important because I want to continue mobilizing the community that wishes to express their opinions," said Wallace "because a lot of us have a lot of feelings of agression that need to be voiced and need to be heard."
The rally began with students and community members coming out to voice concerns.
They stood on the steps of the Athens County Courthouse with raincoats and umbrellas braving the elements in order to get their voices heard.
Protest participants didn't stop there, they moved their protest into the street stopping traffic coming up court street.
They then marched from the courthouse down to the intersection of Court and Union Streets.
Police told protestors to move out of the street, however they continued their march.
Going through Cutler Hall and holding a "die-in".
They laid on the ground outside of the President's office in the hopes of making a statement.
The protest march then moved the Baker University Center where it ended.
Student leaders say they don't plan to stop with protests, and they will continue next year.
They hope to keep the converation they have started now going so their voices cannot be forgotten.