Hundreds met Monday at the Central United Methodist Church to rally and demonstrate against injustice in Detroit and the rest of the country. Before the march, community activists and leaders spoke of lessons taught by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and addressed a variety of topical issues facing Detroit and the United States, namely Detroit’s water shutoffs and retired employee pensions, the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and the imprisonment of Rev. Pinkney in Benton Harbor, as well as others.
The demonstration and meeting was meant to instill thinking like this quote by Reverend Martin Luther King, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Abayomi Azikiwe, addresses the crowd in the Central United Methodist Church
The crowd in erupted in applause when activist Jerry Goldberg passionately cried, “No more foreclosures! No more water shut offs! Let’s take back the power!”
“I pledge to you all that as city councilwoman, I will continue giving a voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless.” – Councilwoman Mary Sheffield
A handmade sign saying, “I, too, sing America. #blacklivesmatter”
A sunglasses donned dog named “Mighty Throwback” rode in a cart during the march.
Demonstrators began their march on E. Adams Avenue near Comerica Park.
The Matrix Theater Company brought their puppets of relevant civil rights icons to the demonstration including their puppet of Ralph Bunche, the first person of color to be honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.
The crowd frequently broke into chanting of “Hands up! Don’t shoot!” echoing the phrase that Ferguson demonstrators rallied behind.
The protestors paused at the Water Board Building on Randolph St. downtown to jeer and chant, “Stop water shut offs!”
The march ended near the Central United Methodist Church with high-fives from a Matrix Theater puppet of Martin Luther King, Jr.