As part of a series of protests in solidarity with movements surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, students staged a Walk Out/Die-in on Monday, Dec. 8. RISE Grinnell is the student group that organized the Walk Out. The group considers these protests to be a necessary effort to continue the dialogue regarding recent police killings and cases of systemic racism. The Walk Out was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. so that many students could make a statement by physically walking out or skipping class to participate in the Die-in. Students met outside Noyce Science Center and laid down around the sundial. Some students held signs criticizing the way in which Brown and Garner’s cases were handled and calling for change, as the failure to indict could set a dangerous precedent. The previous protest, which took place in the JRC lobby, had originally been scheduled to take place outside but was moved due to cold temperatures. However, organizers decided that this protest would take place outside regardless and encouraged students to dress accordingly. Additionally, the organizers created a list of suggestions for how they believed the administration should handle racial justice, which was distributed to protesters in attendance. The protest lasted for approximately 20 minutes.
