Peace and Solidarity Rally brings out hundreds to Pasadena streets Thursday night

Photographs by Terry Miller

Peace and Solidarity Rally brings out hundreds to Pasadena streets Thursday night

By Terry Miller

It was an unusually hot and muggy evening Thursday when approximately 100 people gathered in Central Park, making signs, chanting and forming a small drum circle…all in the name of solidarity for the young black men who have been shot by police, with particular attention to the recent events where an unarmed Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo. The students who helped organize the event Clarke McRae and Ife Sangode, spoke to local media and eventually marched in Pasadena late Thursday to calling for peace, solidarity and better police and community relations . The “Every Life Matters Peace and Solidarity Rally” and march began at Pasadena’s Central Park. From there marchers chanted “ Hands up, don’t shoot”, played drums as they marched north on Fair Oaks to Colorado. They then proceeded east on Colorado and finally to City Hall.

At the conclusion of the rally, the stalwart KGEM journalist Ralph Walker said that he was deeply moved when one speaker said “this is nothing but a pep rally…” on the steps of city hall. Walker also pointed out the irony of the bright illumination on hallowed halls of the city when the Bronze portrait sculptures commemorating the lives of brothers, Jackie and Mack Robinson, across the street from City Hall were completely dark. No illumination whatsoever. The irony wasn’t lost on Walker and the crowd that had gathered in solidarity for black men everywhere. Walker asked councilwoman Robinson to look into that oversight which she promised to do. The two imposing heads of the famous brothers symbolize Jackie who broke the color barrier in 1947 when he joined the then Brooklyn Dodgers and Mack who won the silver medal in the 1936 Olympics 200 meter race. The bronze statues were dedicated in 1997 and completed in 2002 with granite tiles etched with donors’ names.

[wowslider id=”185″] Demonstrators held signs condemning police brutality and showing support for unarmed black men recently killed in happenstances with police. One woman carried a sign listing 10 unarmed black men who were killed by police officers in the last decade: Timothy Stansbury, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Aaron Campbell, Alonzo Asley, Wendall Allen, Jonathan Farrell, Kendric McDade, Ervin Jefferson and Michael Brown. Chief Sanchez was also on hand with a handful of officers who helped keep the marchers safe. Demonstrators heard from community activists, clergy,and Pasadena City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson.

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