By ANNA DITUCCI CAPPIELLO & SAMAIRAH KAHN
A group of non-white members staged a symbolic protest by walking out of a City Council stated meeting in City Hall Tuesday in reaction to the grand jury decision not to charge a Ferguson police officer in the Michael Brown shooting.
“Black Lives Matter!” chanted Bronx Councilman Andy King who led his colleagues into the lobby where they recited a prepared chant in chorus:
“Black lives matter. In Ferguson, Missouri! Black lives matter in the nations of our communities. Black lives matter in the streets of Staten Island. Black lives matter in this chamber.”
The protestors urged communities to continue to demonstrate the value of black lives.
Manhattan Councilwoman Margaret Chin, translated the speech into Chinese, and Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, co-chair of the BLAC caucus, gave a Spanish translation.
The council members left the meeting during roll calling. At the end of the remarks, council members threw up their hands chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” and about a dozen marched back upstairs to continue the meeting.
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