Yesterday afternoon, immediately after the Dane County district attorney in Madison, Wis., announced that no charges would be filed against Officer Matt Kenny in the shooting death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson Jr., an activist group called Young Gifted and Black Coalition — “young Black women, queer folks, straight folks and feminist men who are fighting for Black Liberation” — asked that the United Nations conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.
The group repeated that demand today on Twitter and as part of its “People’s Court,” one of the events making up #BlackOutWednesday in Madison.
.@YGBCoalition's M Adams demands independent UN investigation of #TonyRobinson shooting, community control of police pic.twitter.com/Nob5ltTHu6
— Bryna Godar (@bgodar) May 13, 2015
The mock trial was held in front of the Dane County Courthouse as a stop along a march through the city, where the group carried preprinted “F**k the Police: Jail Matt Kenny” signs and demanded complete community control of the police.
The March Begins!!#YGBJFT#Justice4Tony#BlackOutWednesday#BlackSpringWI pic.twitter.com/fDpE48CGkH
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
#BlackSpring #BlackOutWednesday pic.twitter.com/FWp9BgC5Vk
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Madison, Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/0d65hpbUED
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) May 13, 2015
People's court! Taking back our power! #BlackSpring #BlackOutWednesday #YGB #freedominc pic.twitter.com/fYyPsC44sw
— Freedom, Inc. (@AboutFreedomInc) May 13, 2015
The crowd in the street will act as the jury for the "people's court," is now booing the mock defense attorney pic.twitter.com/PJ4CwpSNRY
— Andrew Hahn (@ndrewhahn) May 13, 2015
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The people's court demands the city of Madison give complete control of the police to the community #BlackOutWednesday #Justice4Tony #YGB
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
Protesters also blocked entrances to the Dane County Jail, the site of another demand by Young Gifted and Black: the “immediate release of 350 black people incarcerated due to crimes of poverty.” Why 350? If blacks make up only 6 percent of the county’s population, then “without structural racism, the jail should be only 6 percent black.”
Doty st and Carroll st shut down. Protestors sit-in outside the jail. #news3 #TonyRobinson pic.twitter.com/lny4babvLG
— Velena Jones (@velenajones) May 13, 2015
"If not Matt Kenny no arrests" reads their message–joined together & connected to a pole at the PSB w/ a bike lock pic.twitter.com/hg6zVgLVAV
— Lindsey Branwall (@lindseybranwall) May 13, 2015
Women chained in front of jail have boxes supporting their arms now #TonyRobinson pic.twitter.com/4N6RGi6VVq
— Bryna Godar (@bgodar) May 13, 2015
https://twitter.com/CurtisSails/status/598543913637515265
Police looking over the community gathering in #TonyRobinson's name. Scary, right? pic.twitter.com/d8m8B5eP2z
— Coalition 4 Justice (@Justice4Dontre) May 13, 2015
Police have told organizers to be off streets by 3. #TonyRobinson
— Doug Erickson (@wiscodoug) May 13, 2015
Arrests are in progress and Brandi is schooling the police on state violence. #BlackSpringWI pic.twitter.com/Jpmgj0kICI
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
#BlackSpringWI now they come for the pregnant woman… pic.twitter.com/fI0DYY2jub
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
Folks getting arrested #BlackOutWednesday #BlackLivesMatter #BlackSpring #BlackSpringWI #Justice4Tony pic.twitter.com/6T141ILlF2
— Young Gifted & Black (@YGBCoalition) May 13, 2015
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