On Friday, May 29th, hundreds of students gathered on campus to share their experiences with UMPD, express their outrage, and demand change. In particular, black students led the charge as organizers, speakers, and participants, all demanding immediate structural changes to the UMPD.

The protest remained peaceful throughout its entirety, beginning as a rally in front of Morrill Hall and ending with a march to the UMPD Headquarters. As the program concluded at 7:30pm under consideration of city-wide curfew, UMPD officers surrounded the building on both sides in full riot gear, brandishing clearly visible assault rifles. This was a direct attempt by UMPD to intimidate and provoke protesters. Not only was this a clear and evident overreaction to a peaceful student protest, but it also threatened the lives of the many black students in attendance. This is a perfect example of the crisis of policing on the UMN campus.

#BlackLivesMatter #ICan'tBreathe #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd