USA-MISSOURI-SHOOTING/NYC RALLY A New York City rally calls for change after Ferguson decision

Record ID: 214816

  • Title: USA-MISSOURI-SHOOTING/NYC RALLY A New York City rally calls for change after Ferguson decision
  • Date: 25th November 2014
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 25, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE HOLDING NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE (NYCC) FLAG VARIOUS OF RALLY PEOPLE HOLDING SIGN READING "NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER: NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK" PAN DOWN OF PEOPLE HOLDING NYCC FLAG KIRSTEN JOHN FOY, MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF BROOKLYN CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK, SPEAKING TO CROWD (SOUN
  • Embargoed: 10th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAD5E3HG1JT9GE7SVDN1RDLG4D5
  • Story Text: A rally was held in New York City on Tuesday (November 25) to protest a grand jury decision that cleared a white police officer in the fatal August shooting of an unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, 18, by police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
    "What we saw was not only his life was taken away from him, we saw a prosecutor, a district attorney that decided he was going to try to erase every good memory and character that Michael possessed," said Kirsten John Foy, minister and president of Brooklyn chapter of the National Action Network.
    "The decision did not shock many of us, but as Reverend Sharpton has said, 'just because you see a punch coming, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when it lands.' And so we're feeling that, we're feeling his blow, but like every good champion, we are going to get up and we are going to continue in this fight, it's not over."
    "This is about healing and recognizing that there are inherent problems in this country as it relates to police and community violence," said New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
    "There are too many children who are getting shot. There are too many kids who feel that they can't go to the police and vice versa. That must change and we must start in New York City."
    The grand jury of nine whites and three blacks began meeting in late August and heard testimony from 60 witnesses called by the prosecution, including medical evidence from three autopsies, one performed by a private pathologist hired by Brown's family.
    "It's immoral and it's a shame and it's a sin," said rally attendee Victor Pate.
    "We've come to send a message to Missouri, to let them know, this has affected the whole United States. All around the country, that they're all upset about it. And it was wrong," said Thomas Kimble.
    "What we're doing here today is...trying to get people to rally to help bring about change. Change in what I call the 'system' of injustice, trying to get the laws changed so that when something like what happened in Ferguson happens, that families are given justice," said Jae Spencer.
    A separate federal investigation into the shooting is continuing and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder emphasized that the Justice Department investigators had not reached any conclusions.
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