Students continue to protest bloody arrest of black UVA honor student
LatestStudents at the University of Virginia continued protesting on Thursday following the bloody arrest yesterday morning of Martese Johnson, an African-American honors student.
Protesters held hands in a circle on campus and chanted “black lives matter,” a phrase that has been widely used by protesters in Ferguson.
They marched through the library and stood on chairs in the dining hall calling for justice.
The protesters have gained support on social media from Questlove and Russell Simmons, who have used the hashtag #JusticeforMartese.
Thursday’s protests followed a Wednesday rally that drew more than 1,000 people, according to estimates from people on the ground.
According to ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, Johnson said at the rally, “I want the remainder of students out there to be able to share their opinions and share their feelings. I beg for you guys regardless of your personal opinions and the way you feel about subjects to please respect everyone here…We are all part of one community and we deserve to respect each other especially in times like this. Thank you.”
Johnson was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and obstructing justice outside a Charlottesville bar by a member of the Virginia Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC). An agent identified as J. Miller on the arrest record, obtained by the university’s student paper, wrote that Johnson appeared “very agitated and belligerent.”
The 20-year-old had reportedly been trying to enter the Trinity Irish Pub. Photos taken by those in the vicinity show Johnson on the ground, with blood running down his face. According to a statement from his attorney, his injuries required 10 stitches. The attorney, Daniel Watkins of Williams Mullen, said in the statement, “Contrary to early police reports, Mr. Johnson has not been accused of possessing false identification.”
Johnson is reportedly a double major with numerous leadership positions on campus. According to both his attorney and the arrest record, he has no criminal record.
An email sent around campus by a group of black students identifying as members of Black Dot calls for a full investigation and urges people to make “noise.”
“We have seen what happens at the University when we allow problems we have long known exist to be handled quietly, so we will not be quiet,” reads the email, obtained by Fusion. “We demand noise from each other, noise from professors, noise from administrators. Martese, like any other student at this university, like any other person in this country and in this world, deserves more than our uproar: he deserves follow through and intentional action.”
Governor Terry McAuliffe has requested an independent investigation and VA ABC has said it will cooperate with that investigation and reassign the involved agents to administrative duties while it proceeds. The university’s president, Teresa Sullivan, released a statement expressing her “deep concern,” but students on Thursday protested that the administration has not done enough to protect and include black students.
The university has had an unusually tense year. A Rolling Stone article that has since been somewhat discredited prompted students to protest the school’s handling of campus sexual assault cases.
Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.