News Local/State

‘Human Chain’ Protest In Held In Champaign-Urbana

by Tiffany Jolley
 
Protesters line Springfield Avenue in Champaign Friday.

Students and members of the community lined Springfield Avenue Friday as part of a 'human chain' protest (Tiffany Jolley/WILL)

Nearly one hundred demonstrators joined hands along Springfield Avenue Friday afternoon as they shouted “Black Lives Matter”.

Elizabeth Mosely has three children, and said these protests are necessary as long as racism is still prevalent in the Champaign-Urbana community.

"This has happened already in Champaign-Urbana, and it happens constantly from racial profiling to what happened with Kiwane Carrington," she said.

Carrington is the African-American teen from Champaign who died in a 2009 police shooting after a report of a break-in.

The Champaign-Urbana Students for Justice organized the rally in response to the recent public criticism against the students of Centennial High School in their efforts to protest what they call racial profiling by police.

Senia Hernandez wrote slogans on posterboard ahead of the protest.

The Centennial High School sophomore said the demonstrations are important to address the racial injustices her generation is facing.

“No we’re not going to stop and this is not going to be over until something is done about it, because really it’s our future that’s at stake here," she said.

Community activist Martel Miller helps his granddaughter paint the word “justice” on a poster.  He said racism is less overt today, but just as damaging.

“It's almost like in the sixties when the federal government had to step in because nobody was being held accountable for killing black people," he said.

The protest on Springfield stretched from Lincoln to Propect Avenue.