About three dozen people walked from the steps of Hatcher Graduate Library through downtown Ann Arbor and back to the Diag on March 13 to call attention to systemic racism in policing and the mattering of black lives.
The march began at about 2:45 p.m. local time.
The participants walked through E. William St. up to S. Main St. with a police escort at their front, their rear, and their sides, with multiple police vehicles blocking intersections and crosswalks to protect the demonstrators from traffic.
Leading the group were two women who initiated call and response shouts with those in tow such as “No justice”/ “No peace”, “What do we want?” / “Justice” / “When do we want it?” / “Now”, and “How do you spell ‘murder’” / “A-A-P-D”.
A couple of families participating brought up the rear.
From S. Main St. traveled north to E. Huron St. to stand for a moment at the intersection in front of the Washtenaw County Courthouse. Upon reaching the intersection, the leaders listed off names to be remembered including Aura Rosser, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Two minutes of silence were asked for, only one was taken.
A police officer, having heard from a driver trying to make a northbound turn from Huron onto Main, directed traffic around the demonstrators.
The moment of silence observed, the protestors walked east down Huron St., where the street had been cleared for blocks by police in anticipation of the protestors route. Outside of City Hall, the leader with the microphone noted that rather than being fired for having killed a black person, an Ann Arbor Police Officer received a promotion.
Locals along the route watched with varying degrees of agreeableness.
The protestors turned south onto State St., close to the University of Michigan.
Finally, the protestors returned to the Diag for a short speech from the leaders commending their participation and urging them to continue in their efforts.
The event ended around 3:30 p.m.
