Approximately 150 demonstrators gathered on the Kohl Center lawn in a silent vigil responding to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner Wednesday night.
The demonstration took place toward the end of the Wisconsin men’s basketball game against Duke, with multiple students holding signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “We Are Michael Brown.” Attendees of different ages and ethnicities stood with their hands up in front of departing fans leaving the Kohl Center.
The event, organized by UW student EJ Newble, was part of a wave of demonstrations against police brutality that has swept across the nation over the past week following dropped charges against former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. New York Policeman Daniel Pantaleo was also not indicted Wednesday for choking Eric Garner to death last July, sparking further controversy.
The demonstration remained peaceful and ended with participants singing songs including “Lean on Me” and “We Shall Overcome.”
