Protest and event organizer Paul Birdsong and other community members met at the Michigan Capitol on June 9 to hold a candlelight vigil for victims of police brutality, as well as call for Lansing Mayor Andy Schor's resignation.
This marks one of many events organized by Birdsong, who has vowed to return to the Capitol every day until he sees change.
The event began on the Capitol steps at 4 p.m. and moved to Ottawa Street as protesters gathered to grill, illustrate with chalk and play games.
As the event entered late evening, protesters returned to the Capitol steps to display a candlelight vigil to commemorate police brutality victims.
As the evening concluded, Birdsong and other protesters discussed remaining on the Capitol lawn overnight.
The event also featured a march around the Capitol building, where protesters called for Schor's resignation.
Protesters marched to Schor's house June 7 to present their demands, which are as follows:
Prior to the march, two members of Michigan Liberation passed out fliers detailing information for protesters against police brutality.
They declined further comment.
Police presence remained minimal throughout the event. However, protesters were told they couldn't set up a tent on the Capitol lawn, protester Geoph Espen said.
Event participants, including Espen, tried to get in contact with the Capitol's event coordinator with no avail.
"We're here to honor the victims of police brutality," Espen said. "This is an opportunity for our community to mourn. We're doing a candlelight vigil. This is an opportunity for healing. This is a chance for the city and the administration to show that they care."
Mount Hope Church Missions and Outreach Pastor Geoff Bassett, as well as other members of the church, joined the event in the early portion of the evening. He said his group attended the event to serve the protesters as well as the police.
"At the end of the day, the reason we're here, bottom line, is the value of a soul," Bassett said. "Like, every person on Earth it's their God given right to have a hope experience."
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Bassett said he and his group members came to help facilitate a conversation about structural changes necessary to absolving issues related to police brutality.
Aubree Grimes and Gretta Delaney, friends and East Lansing residents, said they joined the event for the candlelight vigil. They said they had not attended any prior protests.
"What's happening right now in our country is not fair, and people have to speak up or nothing will happen," Delaney said.
Zoe Schaub and Leanna Meyer said they attended because they wanted to be a part of the change necessary to stop police brutality.
"I just think that it's important that we tear the system down and rebuild it," Schaub said. "I know that it's a very large statement, but it is what has to be done. You can have every good person in the system — all good cops — but the system will still work against minorities."
Meyer specifically commented on the city of Lansing's use of funds.
"With Lansing, as a community, I feel like we've all seen our inner city schools suffer from all of this and, you know, them taking directly taking budget from inner city, mostly black communities to build on the police that don't really need new trucks and new guns and new everything," Meyer said.
Most recently, Lansing City Council used $170,000 of remaining funds from the current fiscal year for a new Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund.
Additionally, The Lansing Police Department proposed adding $100,000 into this fund, which is approximately .23% of the total police department budget for the fiscal year.
Protests against police brutality and calls for Schor's resignation, led by Birdsong, are set to continue daily at 4 p.m. at the Capitol.
