Saint Augustine's students attend vigil for Michael Brown, Ferguson
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- From New York City to Northern California, college students led a fresh round of protests over the still simmering controversy in Ferguson, Missouri. Many of them walked out of class Monday for so called "Hands-Up Walkouts."
There was no walkout at St. Augustine's University in Raleigh, but many students did attend a Hands-Up vigil at the school's chapel at noon.
"Hands up, don't shoot" has become a rallying cry for many who believe the Michael Brown case is another example overzealous police targeting minorities.
Some who attended the vigil at St. Aug's Monday admitted they don't know all the facts about Ferguson, but do believe it is worth taking a stand on.
St. Aug's NAACP Chapter President Henry Capers was the first to stand up at the chapel. You could see him motioning to the crowd to stand with him and raise their hands in the air.
"We need to be known with the Michael Brown case that St. Augustine's University on 1315 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina, is a firm believer in helping advocate for the Michael Brown family," Capers told ABC11.
The chapel was filled with St. Aug's students and some faculty. They stood hands raised for four-and-a half minutes, which is a reference to the four-and-a-half hours Brown's body lay in the street in Ferguson.
In the days since violence boiled over in Ferguson following that grand jury's decision not to indict former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, thousands of grand jury documents have been released offering varying accounts of whether the unarmed teen actually raised his hands in surrender to Wilson. And if so, how high?
However, for many at St. Aug's, that no longer matters. "Hands up, don't shoot" has come to symbolize a much bigger movement.
"[We are] just showing the body language that we're innocent young people. Not everyone in the world is violent", said St. Aug's student Jill Ricks.
The Triangle's connection to Ferguson grew over the weekend. The head of North Carolina's NAACP, Rev. William Barber, led demonstrators in Ferguson as they began a march to the Missouri State Capitol.
On the phone Monday, Barber told ABC11 that it was partly his idea to move the protests from the cover of night to daytime. It's an effort to better symbolize the search for justice.
"I'm glad to see young people all over the TV, non-violently and in the daytime, saying we're going to ensure equal protection under the law", Barber said.
There's no indication the demonstrations will end any time soon. Organizers at St. Aug's talked about actively pursuing partnerships with students at other area historically black universities for some kind of joint protest.
