Nationwide protests, both peaceful and otherwise, have followed a grand jury decision to not criminally prosecute Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for his role in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Monday evening, nearly 150 University of Delaware students met on the steps of Memorial Hall to begin an organized silent protest and walkout, bearing signs with messages like "Black Lives Matter" and "Hands Up".
Organizer Ayanna Gill, president of the Multicultural Greek Congress, says their non-violent campus demonstration isn't an attempt to reverse the grand jury decision, but to call into question certain law enforcement methods and to ask police to improve those methods.
"To do a better job in terms of creating a better relationship between cops as well as black minorities within the country, because it's really sad that we fear the ones who have the role and the responsibility of protecting us."
Gill says the demonstration was also an opportunity for black students at the university to have their voices heard.
"[African Americans] are 8% of the student population, of over 17,000 students," Gill said. "Some of our students don't really feel as though the campus is a really great place for minorities to express themselves, especially when issues happen, so this is what we're doing here right now."
Gill, a junior at UD, spread the word about the demonstration via social media.
She added she and other organizers also hoped to bring attention to inordinately high minority incarceration rates and other social injustices.
