About 120 members of the Syracuse University community marched around the SU campus on Monday as part of a national call for action in honor of Michael Brown and in solidarity with the city of Ferguson, Missouri.

The “March for Mike Brown” was held at 1:01 p.m. because Brown was shot at 1:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Aug. 9. It was held in solidarity with other national “Walk-Out” movements going on at the same time on Monday.

The march began on the steps of Hendricks Chapel, went around Huntington Beard Crouse, between the Schine Student Center and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, down University Avenue, through Marshall Street, up past Crouse-Hinds Hall and down University Place before making its way back to Hendricks.

Marchers chanted as they walked. Some of the chants included: “Hands up don’t shoot!” “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” and “From Syracuse to Ferguson, black lives matter.” The marchers were met with mostly positive feedback from onlookers, some raising their fists in the air and others putting their hands up. However, while walking on Marshall Street, one onlooker muttered, “Go home,” before entering his vehicle.

Marchers got back to Hendricks around 1:18 p.m., 17 minutes after they left and continued chanting until around 1:25 p.m. The event concluded just before 2 p.m.

Brown, an 18-year-old man, was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9 around noon local time. Following the shooting, protests erupted throughout the country and United States Attorney General Eric Holder was dispatched to Ferguson, Missouri by President Barack Obama to monitor the situation.

Last Monday, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch announced that a grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson, the police officer, for any crimes related to the fatal shooting of Brown. Since then, protests have continued around the country, some turning violent with looting and rioting.

“Today marks the first step of many in the nation that black lives matter,” said Elizabeth Odunaiya, a senior health and exercise science major, on the steps of Hendricks.

Following the march, a few members of the SU community talked about how the situation in Ferguson relates to the city of Syracuse, the entire country and internationally.

There was a four and a half minute moment of silence for Brown to end the event.

Published on December 1, 2014 at 2:26 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306