This evening’s regularly scheduled Columbus City Council meeting was interrupted by approximately 100 protestors, who demanded justice in the wake of the shooting death of 13-year-old Tyre King on September 14th. While city officials asked the community for patience in the days following the incident until a full investigation could be completed, forensic reports unveiled last week indicate that the child was running away from police when he suffered the fatal gunshot wounds.
Tonight’s protest was organized by the People’s Justice Project, which laid out five specific demands for Columbus City Council, according to the group’s Facebook event page:
1. Turn the “Summer Safety Initiative” over to the community.
2. Move 50% of Columbus’ policing budget into prevention, intervention and community controlled policing.
3. Use new funds from the bond package brought in for the police to be put instead towards facilities for trauma recovery and healing services in neighborhoods hardest hit by violence.
4. An agreement to work with us and other stakeholders on developing a reinvestment plan for these funds. We want the majority of the task force appointed by the community.
5. We do not trust the police to investigate themselves. We want independent investigations and transparent prosecution for Henry Green, Ty’re King, and all future police involved shootings.
City Council members exited council chambers shortly after the protestors took control of the meeting. After being warned of arrest, the protestors exited the building and continued to protest outside. City Council resumed their meeting afterward, and completed their planned agenda for the day.
The protest was captured live via Periscope by local NBC4 reporter Olivia Fecteau:
LIVE on #Periscope: Civil disobedience at Council https://t.co/7cANsYMLNi
— Olivia Fecteau (@oliviafecteau) September 26, 2016
The start of the protest was also captured in the official video stream for the City of Columbus, around the 20:30 mark: