Student Protesters At UMass Boston Call For Racial Justice
BOSTON (CBS) -- The voice of protest was heard on the UMass Boston campus Saturday at a demonstration and march. Organizers billed it as an event seeking justice for black lives. Dozens of people gathered by the Campus Center near the harbor chanting and holding signs.
"Like many of you, I am sick and tired of this global conscience epidemic of black bodies being brutalized economically, socially, physically, and black murders being normalized," organizer Celine Voyard said to the crowd.
Student demonstrators, most of whom were wearing black, say there is too much of a police presence at UMass Boston. Another protester said recent events in the country have her very nervous about her son.
"It's scary every day. I call him every day. I'm worried for him, especially driving. I feel like there should be a witness when a police officer is pulling over a black man because his life is in danger," Izabel Depina said.
After the rally, the group marched through campus and into a nearby neighborhood. At a final stop, they observed a moment of silence in memory of George Floyd and others who have been lost.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey came to the event and joined the crowd in taking a knee.
"It's not just the buildings of America that are on fire. The soul of our country is on fire. And that's what we're hearing here tonight," he said. "What they're saying is there's structural racism built into our criminal justice system, our educational system, our health care system and our economic system, and they want changes."
