SEMO students launch second Ferguson protest

A small group of protesters from Southeast Missouri State University braved icy temperatures to protest events in Ferguson, Missouri -- sparked by the fatal shooting in August of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.

The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson and the subsequent decision by a grand jury not to indict Wilson prompted unrest in Ferguson and nationwide. About 50 students gathered outside Kent Library on Thursday protesting the grand jury's decision.

Monday's protest by 12 students in the median of Broadway at Henderson Avenue included handwritten signs and slogans such as "Hands Up, Don't Shoot," "I Am Michael Brown" and "No justice, no peace," among others. Those involved say there are more protests to come.

A small group of students shout slogans protesting recent events in Ferguson, Missouri on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 at Henderson Avenue and Broadway in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Nile McClain, a junior from St. Louis, has been involved in protests over Brown's shooting since it occurred in August. She has family who live in the area where much of the protesting has taken place. Monday's gathering was to show solidarity with a nationwide walkout of students and employees against police violence.

" ... This is a problem that is just really, really prominent for people of color and it's something that needs to have attention brought to it," McClain said. "This could be my little brother, you know what I'm saying. This could be lots of people's sons; this could be their fathers. ..."

McClain added police brutality is "not a joke." She was involved in a peaceful protest Sunday in which she saw another man getting arrested. Following that, she said she was attacked by more than 10 police officers and Tasered while she was on the ground.

" ... So police brutality is very real. It's a very, very, very real thing, especially for people of color, and I feel like it's very important for people across the spectrum of the entire country to pay attention to this and realize that it's an actual issue and that we deal with this every day from birth. This is something that we have to face coming up in this country," McClain said.

Senior Kevin Windham came out to protest police brutality and "racist police in our area, as well as our country." In middle school, Windham said he lived just a couple blocks from where Brown was shot and killed. "So it hits home, definitely," he said.

"It's important to me because I could have been Mike Brown any day of my life," Windham said.

Pertinent address:

Henderson Avenue and Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.