In partnership with the Michigan Student Power Network’s Day of Action, groups such as Students United and the Committee for the Oversight of Police Officers met at Beaumont Tower to take action and stand in solidarity with all people who face police violence and occupation.

Ian Matchett, a representative from the Michigan Student Power Network helped organize the protest.

“It’s a great chance for students to take direct action in their community,” Matchett said. “We are trying to unite campuses across the state to realize we are all fighting the same people at the top and this event is a great first step.”

A similar event in October saw students march directly to the East Lansing Police Department’s office and issue a list of demands. This list included requiring officers to wear body cameras while on duty, an expected cost of around $39,000.

Thursday morning the ELPD released a statement responding to the group’s demands and commenting that they have looked into the body camera technology and are hoping to gain funding in the next few years.

However, the students are not satisfied with the response.

The COPO issued a letter to the ELPD that included a recent lawsuit where the ELPD paid a $35,000 fine for case involving excessive force. The costs are $4,000 less than the estimate for on-body cameras, a measure to prevent the use of excessive force.

“We are trying to make them realize the whole system is flawed,” MSU junior Jaclyn Wilke said. “If they had the cameras in the first place, the officers would be more accountable for their actions.”

In order to show that they were serious about their demands being answered, the students began chanting and marched to the department at East Lansing City Hall. ELPD cars and officers were monitoring the event to make sure protesters stayed on the sidewalks and cause no property damaged.

When they arrived, they demanded Chief of Police Juli Liebler come and listen to their demands but were told that she had gone home for the night and would return at 8 a.m. The protesters held a four and a half minute silent reflection on police violence, symbolizing the four and a half hours Michael Brown lay dead in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri.

“There a lot of people who feel afraid of the police due to their race,” said a protester who asked not to be named. “So we are going to keep rallying until they acknowledge the injustice of the system.”

Afterwards, some members disbanded and others stayed out front to attract passersby and encourage them to join in the protest.

The group will return at a later date to speak with Liebler and demand that ELPD make a statement condemning the actions of the Ferguson Police Department.

In their response, the ELPD remained neutral toward the protests in Missouri, explaining the department “has not been presented with all the facts regarding police use of force in Ferguson, Missouri. It is, therefore, not prudent to critique or judge their actions.”