Student activists from around the state converged on the Capitol this morning to present a list of demands for a more progressive state, and to show politicians that young people do care about the future of Michigan.

“We’re here to show solidarity with students in Michigan and to show that we care about the environment and how people are treated,” Central Michigan University senior Vince Roncelli said.

Student speakers used a megaphone atop the Capitol steps to express their opinions and proposals for ways in which Michigan can be made, in their view, better and more inclusive.

The speakers’ topics included issues such as police brutality, anti-discrimination laws, decommissioning an oil pipeline under the Mackinac straights, undocumented immigrant reform and making it a requirement to teach sexual education in school.

Students also spoke inside the Capitol, and marched through its corridors chanting “I believe that we will win.”

Once students marched back to the Lansing City Market, where the rally began just hours before, there were reports of a woman named Brittany Williamson and her child being stopped by police and receiving a ticket for endangering her child because she was participating in the protest.

Students were outraged by this news and marched back to the scene of the arrest, where one student activist, jazz studies senior Duncan Tarr, tried to grab the citation out of the officer’s hand and was consequently taken to the ground by two officers and arrested.

Student activists then tried to block police vehicles from leaving with Tarr, and formed a human blockade, which was broken up with police officers pushing them aside.

Students were also yelling for police badge numbers, to which one officer responded, “You can see it, can’t you?”

The march’s lead organizer, activist Ian Matchett, then accompanied a group of students to the police station to give testimonials of what occurred.

Eighteen police officers stood in the street as students dispersed and made their way back to the City Market.

Aside from the abrupt police involvement and arrest the rally and march was seen as a success by student activists.

“Today was beyond a success ... we opened our voices and showed that we truly care about these issues,” Eastern Michigan University activist Tristan Morton said.

Students also saw this as something that can be learned from for future marches.

“I think we just need to understand that we need to work with police. Sometimes that can be hard, but we need to try and learn from this,” MSU arts and humanities senior Ryan Peterson said.