Washington, March 10
Hundreds of students
marched through the streets of Madison in the US state of Wisconsin to
protest the killing of Tony Robinson, a young unarmed African American,
by a policeman last Friday.
Protesters walked peacefully to the
state's legislative building on Monday, carrying a white banner
displaying the slogan “Black Lives Matterâ€, Efe news agency reported.
The
slogan first appeared in mid-2014 after the deaths of African Americans
Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson, both shot by
police officers.
Students left classes to fill the entrance and
first floor of the Wisconsin state Capitol where they shouted "We are
Tony Robinson" amidst calls for justice.
Students and protesters have also taken to social networks with the hashtag #TonyRobinson.
Madison
police chief Mike Koval visited the Robinson family over the weekend
and apologised on Monday for the death of the teenager.
"Reconciliation
cannot begin without my stating 'I am sorry' and I don't think I can
say this enough. I am sorry. I hope that, with time, Tony's family and
friends can search their hearts to render some measure of forgiveness."
Robinson's
death at the hands of police adds to the list of similar killings which
have made police discrimination against minorities a lead issue in the
US.
In a press conference on behalf of the family, Robinson's
uncle Turin Carter said that police work is necessary and that police
are even heroic at times, but that some things need to change.
"This
is a bigger issue than Tony. This highlights a universal problem with
law enforcement and how its procedures have been carried out," said
Carter.
He said that although "we don't think Tony is a saint and he has made mistakes", he was a good boy with a good heart.
Carter thanked people for their support and requested protesters to carry out marches and vigils peacefully.
"We
don't want to stop at just 'black lives matter,' because all lives
matter," said Carter, whose nephew Robinson had a white mother and black
father.
According to police, the incident occurred on Friday after they responded to reports of suspicious behaviour by Robinson.
When
approached on the street, Robinson ran to an apartment and a physical
confrontation occurred with police who followed him there.
Robinson was shot multiple times by officer Matt Kenny.
Kenny,
an officer of 12 years standing, is now on paid administrative leave
while the Division of Criminal Investigation investigates.
"My
son has never been a violent person. And to die in such a violent,
violent way, it baffles me," Robinson's mother Andrea Irwin told TV
channel WKOW.
US media reported that Robinson was about to start
three years of probation following a conviction in October for armed
robbery.
