NEW YORK, JANUARY 22 (Sputnik) – Religious leaders and civil rights activists are holding a conference in Brooklyn, New York, this weekend on the police killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, and the often-violent protests that have plagued the US over the subsequent five months.
"Events spurred by the killing of Michael Brown have galvanized the nation and led to massive protests against racism and police brutality," organizers said in a statement. "We hope to examine what happened, why it happened, why masses of people are acting now, and what to expect in the future."
STREETS NAMED AFTER NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu, Rafael Ramos. No Streets Named Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice. http://t.co/yecs6zuUjf
— Dr. Tom Martin Ph.D. (@DrTomMartinPhD) January 4, 2015
The panel discussion in Brooklyn on Saturday will feature Rev Clinton Miller, of Brown Memorial Baptist Church, alongside civil rights activists and relatives of African-Americans who have lost loved ones in alleged acts of police violence.
The conference will focus on the death of Brown, 18, who was shot and killed by policeman Darren Wilson down a backstreet in Ferguson, a mostly-black suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, on August 9.
Makes me proud we are not alone but Umoja with all races in this movement to stop #PoliceBrutality & #Injustice pic.twitter.com/QgcahfXugh
— N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S.™ (@MrMilitantNegro) January 20, 2015
The United States has been tormented by protests, rallies and riots in recent months, following the death of Brown and other African-Americans, amid concerns of racism in the police force and the increasingly militarized tactics employed by US lawmen.
