(Photo courtesy of Evan Robinson-Johnson)
Wednesday marked the 10th night of student protests led by the group NU Community Not Cops calling on the university to invest in Black students and disarm, defund and disband the Northwestern University Police Department.
About 100 students marched from Floyd Long Field to the house of Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty where they denounced his recent statement as “anti-black.” The demonstrators were trailed by several Northern Illinois Police Alarm System’s Mobile Field Force officers on bikes as well as several Evanston police officers in cars.
A June 3 petition — which garnered over 8,000 signatures and the support of 300 Northwestern and Evanston organizations — called on the school to disband NUPD and cut ties with the Evanston and Chicago police departments.
Students began marching Oct. 12 after 138 days of waiting for the university to commit to disbanding its police force and investing in alternative support services for Black students.
University president Morton Shapiro has participated in community dialogues on the issue, but he has repeatedly told students he has “absolutely no intention” to abolish the police department.