Denver Students Block Colfax During Another Rally
DENVER (CBS4/AP) - A few dozen protesters, mostly students, shut down lanes of westbound Colfax Avenue on Friday afternoon during another rally to protest police tactics in the recent deaths of black males nationwide.
The demonstrators marched during rush hour, a change from earlier protests when student left classes midday.
"This is not just about Ferguson. This is not just about New York. This is not just about Colorado. This is about making a change nationwide," demonstrator Miles Holland told CBS4.
He was referencing the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Missouri, and the strangling death of another black man by police in Staten Island.
Among protesters' demands: special prosecutors for cases of police misconduct, affirmative action protocols to increase the number of minority officers, and body and dashboard cameras for all police.
Students in the Denver area have been walking out of class daily for over a week but the latest protest is the first to be scheduled after school. They want to show that the protest movement isn't about skipping class. Denver School of the Arts student Abby Friesen-Johnson also says an afterhours protest is easier on teachers, who have been working to help students make up for work they've missed.
Earlier this week, Mayor Michael Hancock urged students to remain in class and work with police to improve race relations Meanwhile, the Denver police officer seriously injured while protecting East High students during a protest last week underwent another surgery today.
John Adsit was on bike patrol when he was hit by a driver suffering from a medical condition.
In a statement, his family said he opened his eyes for the first time yesterday. He remains in critical condition at Denver Health.
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