The nation’s capital saw mothers from around the country march from Capitol Hill to the Justice Department, in a national protest against police violence against their children.
The Facebook page for the Million Moms March on Washington, overflowing with posts by mothers who lost their children to violent encounters with law enforcement, shows Americans are starting to take a stand against paramilitary police forces who’s victims are often the poorest and most marginalized.
They are also invariably young men, who leave behind devastated mothers.
Joining the marching mothers are grieving spouses, siblings and friends of those who died. Those who could marched, those who could not posting photos, shared their own experiences and voiced their support.
Mothers for Justice United was the organizer of the march, using social media to attract support for the event. The marchers presented “demands for justice and racial equality,” the organization said.
Among those who marched is the organization’s founder Maria Hamilton, whose 31-year-old son Dontre was shot and killed last year by a Milwaukee police officer after he was discovered sleeping in a park.
Yet the officer was fired instead of charged with a crime.
This is an all-too familiar story for many of the mothers.
For Mrs Hamilton the date of the march, in addition to being mother’s day, is also the first anniversary of Dontre Hamilton’s burial.
Mothers for Justice United’s website says the march is a “call to action … in the wake of the recent unjust murders of Dontre Hamilton, Corey Stingley, Derek Williams, Brandon Johnson, Larry Jenkins, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice and so many more at the hands of police officers and racist vigilantes.”
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