'Say his name': Small protest in West Akron continues week of marches for Jayland Walker
More than 30 marchers accompanied by several vehicles gathered Friday night at Hawkins Plaza in Akron to continue protests of the grand jury decision Monday not to charge officers in the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker.
Starting in the plaza in a steady rain, organizers led chants calling for justice for Walker, 25, who was shot 46 times by Akron police on June 27.
More: Akron agrees not to use tear gas on non-violent protesters after local group sues
"Say his name," organizers called out over a megaphone.
"Jayland Walker," marchers called out.
"Justice for who?"
"Jayland Walker."
Marchers left the plaza heading east on Vernon Odom Boulevard past St. Ashworth Temple Church of God In Christ before turning north on Superior Avenue and winding through the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood. Most wore rain parkas or carried umbrellas, some holding signs that were soaked by the close of the march.
Unlike a protest on Wednesday, there was no confrontation between marchers and police.
Organizers work to keep Jayland Walker march details from Akron police
Frankie Alguire, a Dover resident who marched with her Akron friend, Allay Watson, said organizers attempted to keep the march's location and time a secret from police.
"It is very difficult for organizers to get the word out about the time and place," she said.
More: Hudson man who was shot to death at home was Cleveland State professor
Like other marchers, she said the organizers didn't want police to know about the protest beforehand to avoid a repeat of Wednesday's confrontation.
In that protest, police used tear gas to disperse a crowd, saying bottles and rocks had been thrown by protesters.
'My little sister started crying'
Akron resident Giovanni Garrett, 12, said he and his family were there Wednesday when the chaos began.
"When we were at the last protest, they started pepper-spraying us," he said. "My little sister started crying."
He said he was unaware of protesters throwing bottles and rocks at the police.
Giovanni said he intended to continue marching in support of Walker and had faith the protests would eventually yield results.
"We are going to keep doing it," he said. "The cops hear it, they see it, they notice it."
He stressed that the march was about the actions of eight officers, not about all Akron police.
"All cops are not racist," he said. "Some cops are cool."
'They were expecting chaos'
Giovanni's parents, Tony and Sharayah Garrett, agreed with their son. But Tony Garrett said the secrecy of Friday's protest was necessary because police, in his estimation, sought confrontation with marchers on Wednesday.
"They were expecting chaos and we didn't give them what they wanted," he said.
Garrett said too many officers aren't familiar with the areas they patrol, suggesting they should be required to live in those neighborhoods. He said some individuals don't have the temperament to be in law enforcement.
"They need to be evaluated to the fullest," he said.
Heading quickly for the exit
As marchers returned to the plaza, the organizer, "Radio," warned a marcher that police had been spotted approaching the area and word spread quickly throughout the crowd.
Most marchers quickly left the scene, but no cruisers were evident.
A downtown protest zone remained empty Friday afternoon and early evening, as it has throughout the week.
The city established the area on High Street in front of the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center for protesters, walling off the zone with barricades and fencing.
Support local journalism: 6 reasons why you should subscribe to the Akron Beacon Journal
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Small protest of Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker, grrand jury
