Tallahassee protests killer cops
Tallahassee, FL – Thirty people rallied for justice for Duane Strong on Nov. 22 at the intersection of Tennessee Street and White Drive. Strong, an 18-year-old African American man, was shot and killed by the police after trying to leave Cheeks lounge – a nearby local nightclub.
Witnesses say police shot Duane Strong multiple times as he drove away from them. A grand jury failed to indict police officers, but the family is bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against the police.
Markeshia Harvey, an organizer for Tallahassee Stop the Violence, chanted, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” as she led the group of protesters marching down the street near where Strong died. Friends, family and supporters held signs reading, “End police brutality,” and “Black lives matter.” The protesters marched to demand justice for Duane Strong but also to remember other African Americans lives lost to police violence in Tallahassee.
Although it began to rain during the rally, the protesters were not deterred. Danielle Adams, president of the Florida State University (FSU) chapter of Dream Defenders, spoke with passion to the crowd, “What we have here is amazing! We need to be speaking out for every Black youth whose life was cut short unjustly by the police.”
At the end, protesters huddled together in the rain and took a picture with their hands up to show support for protesters in Ferguson, Missouri fighting for justice for Mike Brown. Tallahassee Dream Defenders, Tallahassee Stop the Violence and family and friends vowed to continue the fight for justice for Duane Strong.