Oregon Attorney General John Kroger spoke to a crowd gathered in the South Park Blocks beside Smith Memorial Student Union at Portland State last Friday to protest the shooting of an unarmed man by a police officer in late January.
The protesters met at Pioneer Courthouse Square and marched down Broadway Street to campus, filling an estimated city block as police blocked off side streets along the route.
“The United States Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation, which is appropriate and necessary,” Kroger said.
Family of the 25-year-old African-American man, Aaron Campbell, who was shot during a stand off with police on Jan. 29 in Northeast Portland, attended the rally.
Marva Davis, Campbell’s mother, thanked the crowd for coming and said she wants to see fairness and justice.
Kroger came to speak to the protesters after leaving a meeting in the PSU Urban Center, at which he introduced Assistant Attorney General Diane Schwartz Sykes, the head of the state’s newly formed civil rights unit, and discussed the unit’s priority areas of casework, according to a posting on the Disability Rights Oregon Web site.
It is clear there is enormous room for improvement in the Portland Police Bureau, Kroger said. He called this situation a turning point for Portland that he thinks will galvanize the city.
According to Kroger, it is not about how police are or are not doing their job, but it is about how to restore trust.
“The last thing our city needs now is violence of any sort,” Kroger said.
Dr. Leroy Haynes of the Allen Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church said, “If each one of us will stand together, we can sweep in reform in our police department.”
Ed Garrett, candidate for city commissioner, said, “If [there is] not a huge bond of trust between law enforcement and community, we are in real trouble.”
The Rev. Renee’ Ward, associate pastor of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist church and a rally organizer, spoke to the diverse crowd gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square before the march, calling for justice and thanking the police for their escort during the march through the streets to PSU. The march portion of the event was previously scheduled to take place on the sidewalks, Ward said.
The march included Chris Beck, a 20-year-old man who held a sign with the word “Justice” printed on it.
Albert Matthews, a 53-year-old, carried a white sign with red letters that said, “Am I next?”
As she marched down Broadway, Gina Parks, a 24-year-old woman, repeatedly called out “what do we need?” and the crowd answered “justice.”
Lobby day for Aaron’s Law
Wed, Feb.24, in Salem
8 a.m., Meet at 3138 N Vancouver Ave. in front of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church (North Fargo and Vancouver avenues)
8:30 a.m., carpool to the Oregon capitol building in Salem
9:45 a.m., visit Oregon representatives according to zip code
11:15 a.m., meet with Oregon senators according to zip code
1 p.m., Visit Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s office
1:45 p.m., Visit Department of Justice, Civil Rights Unit
2:30 p.m., Return to Portland
For more information call 503-548-7537 or 503-962-9607