<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Brian Dolinar <<a href="mailto:briandolinar@gmail.com">briandolinar@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> December 12, 2014 at 10:06:00 AM CST<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:announce-communitycourtwatch@lists.chambana.net">announce-communitycourtwatch@lists.chambana.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[Announce] Central rally 3:30pm today</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Hi folks,<br><br></div><div>Just a reminder of two things - CUCPJ will meet meeting Saturday 4pm at the IMC. And today there will be a rally with local high school students. Centennial students will start marching from Centennial at 3:30-3:45. They will be marching east down Springfield. They will eventually make it to Neil St. They ask others to join them along the way. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Hands up! <br><br></div><div>BD<br></div><div><br><br clear="all"><div>NEWS-GAZETTE<br></div><div><span class=""><div class=""><span class="">Fri, 12/12/2014 - 7:00am</span> | <span class=""><a href="http://www.news-gazette.com/author/tim-mitchell">Tim Mitchell</a></span></div></span>
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<p>CHAMPAIGN — Motorists on their
afternoon commutes home today could be in for a sight straight out of
the late '60s: scores of sign-carrying teenagers, linked arm in arm, up
and down Springfield Avenue.</p>
<p>It's area students' latest planned protest against recent grand jury
decisions not to indict white police officers for killing unarmed black
men in Ferguson, Mo., and New York.</p>
<p>A group of young people from Champaign, Urbana and Savoy who call
themselves CU Students for Justice are planning to create the human
chain along Springfield from 3:30 to 5 p.m.</p>
<p>Centennial High senior Sam Blisset, one of the event's organizers,
said today's effort was created in light of recent criticism of last
week's demonstration at his school, which ended with a broken car
windshield and police on campus.</p>
<p>Other incident-free demonstrations were held earlier this week outside Central High and at the University of Illinois.</p>
<p>Blisset and other young people devoted much of their Thursday
afternoon to making signs for the event. ("Congress needs to act now,"
his read).</p>
<p>"While the various high schools and universities have held previous
separate protests, I wanted to try to organize a community-based
protest," Blisset said. "It is time we got the whole community together
instead of just having small groups taking a stand."</p>
<p>He said students from Centennial, Central, Urbana and University high
schools plan to each meet outside their schools at 3:30 p.m.</p>
<p>"We have kids as young as 5 or 6 on up to adults taking part," he
said. "We are encouraging everyone to wear their school gear and to
bring signs."</p>
<p>Students from the four high schools will then march to a central location somewhere along Springfield.</p>
<p>"Once we get together, we plan to all stand side by side on the
sidewalk to form a human chain along Springfield Avenue as far east and
west as possible," Blisset said.</p>
<p>Protesters have been told to obey all traffic and pedestrian laws,
remain on the sidewalk at all times and not obstruct the flow of traffic
in any way, he added.</p>
<p>"We want to focus on the fact that we don't want anybody breaking any
laws," Blisset said. "If somebody wants to walk on the sidewalk, we
can't block them."</p>
<p>Blisset said he believes the teens have an important message for Champaign County.</p>
"I feel like the young people in our
community are not noticed as much," Blisset said. "I feel that our
words need to be heard as much as the adults' words. Our voices matter
just as much."
<p>Champaign County NAACP President Patricia Avery praised the young people for taking a stand against injustice.</p>
<p>"I've been calling the fact that young people have decided to take a
stand an awakening," Avery said. "When young people wake up to what is
going on in the world and see injustices, I know change is going to
come.</p>
<p>"Throughout history, it has been young people who have made a
difference in social change. I'm excited that we have so many young
activists who are stepping up against injustice.</p>
<p>"And, adults, if you can't stand with them, then get out of the way."</p><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.<br></div><div></div><a href="http://briandolinar.com" target="_blank">briandolinar.com</a><br></div></div>
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