By: Shea O’Malley
OSWEGO – Protests that began in Minneapolis over the recent death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer, have found their way to the City of Oswego.
Accept Oswego, an LBGTQ group that began in Oswego and focuses on creating a safer environment in the city, organized a peaceful protest today.
Today’s protest in Oswego added a local voice to the larger demand for justice in the nation. Protesters gathered around City Hall with several people in attendance.
SUNY Oswego alumnus Omar van Reenen spoke about solidarity on behalf of George Floyd and other black victims who died at the hands of police brutality throughout the nation.
van Reenen started the conversation by repeating Floyd’s words, “I can’t breathe, please let me stand,” the crowd responding with chants.
He asked for white protestors to lie on the ground for nine minutes with their hands behind their backs in order to illustrate what Floyd endured at the hands of the police.
“To our white allies here today, for the next nine minutes, as you lay there, I want you to feel the pressure of white supremacy,” van Reenen said. “I want you to feel the pressure of systemic racism coming down on your neck, choking you, as it’s the only crime of being black.”
van Reenen’s request was followed by nine minutes of silence in honor of Floyd and others that have lost their lives at the hands of police brutality.
Protesters chanted “Please let me stand, I can’t breathe,” repeating Floyd’s name as they lay on the ground.
van Reenen thanked the City of Oswego, giving credit to the Accept Oswego organization for hosting today’s protest.
“We have nothing to lose but our chains,” van Reenen said. “This is what intersectionality and solidarity look like, and we need to practice it in every aspect of our lives.”
Takayla Beckon spoke next, addressing fears amongst the black community in standing up their rights and bringing healing to the racial divide in the nation.
“It can be even scarier to look into ourselves, to make ourselves to do better,” Beckon said. “But we will feel that fear and we will do it anyway.”
The march ended with a peaceful walk up Bridge Street to Sheldon Hall on the Oswego Campus, the protestors chanting and holding signs expressing various ideas on the topic at hand.
A video of the demonstration can be found here. (Be aware there is some explicit language at times.)
A video of the marching can be found here.
Background Information:
George Floyd, a Minneapolis, Minnesota black resident, was detained on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a local establishment.
While placing Floyd in custody, Police Officer Derek Chauvin was seen on video holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for an extended period of time, resulting in his death, while three other officers assisted.
Floyd is heard on video repeatedly saying he could not breathe, while he and bystanders begged the officer to remove his knee.
The Minneapolis protests began in an effort to force the Minneapolis DA to arrest Chauvin and the other officers. Chauvin was taken into custody four day after Floyd’s death and charged Third Degree Murder and Second Degree Manslaughter.
Floyd’s death has sparked nationwide protests since Tuesday concerning police brutality aimed at minorities.
missing or outdated ad config
