‘Breonna was a Wildcat.’ Breonna Taylor protests reach UK campus; 4 people detained
Four protesters face disorderly conduct charges after they were arrested by police near the University of Kentucky campus during Lexington protests over the decision in the Breonna Taylor case.
The four protesters were taken into custody after 9 p.m. Thursday on Avenue of Champions near the UK campus. Lexington police cut off protesters in the street and told them to get on the sidewalk. Protesters said they were allowed to be in the street if they weren’t blocking traffic. The four taken into custody refused to move.
The disorderly conduct charge filed against all four is a misdemeanor offense, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center website.
Thursday night’s demonstrations started on UK’s campus with a march and vigil organized by UK students. Students gathered around the Wildcat sculpture along Avenue of Champions to honor Taylor and speak out about the grand jury decision to indict just one of the officers involved in Taylor’s shooting, on charges not related to her death.
Brett Hankison, a now-former Louisville police officer, was charged with wanton endangerment for bullets that traveled into a neighboring apartment during the altercation that killed Taylor, the Kentucky attorney general’s office said Wednesday. Some UK students said they felt justice had been denied.
“All we want is Black lives to matter just as much as white lives,” said Gabe Savage, a UK student. “We just want to matter. Period. Every time we take 10 steps forward we think we’re making progress, but we get knocked right back eight steps.”
Several students in attendance also spoke about racial concerns at UK, calling out racial “microaggressions” on campus and criticizing racial justice announcements made by university leadership which some students felt were empty gestures.
“I don’t care for the university to make changes in diversity and inclusion if they are not also putting the funds and the resources behind it so that it’s making systemic change,” said Kameron White-McDaniel, a UK doctoral student.
Students left flowers by the sculpture and organizers said they will continue to meet to commemorate Black lives lost every day for the next 26 days.
Jay Calhoun, a protest organizer who has been heavily involved in Lexington demonstrations in recent months, said he was proud of the students for setting up their protest.
“To see this university come together like it has come together right here tonight, literally brought tears to my eyes,” Calhoun said.
The vigil ended shortly after 7:30, but some of the students went downtown to join a separate protest already underway. Protesters at the downtown demonstration made signs which read “Breonna was a Wildcat,” among other slogans. Taylor previously attended UK, university President Eli Capilouto confirmed Wednesday. After working on the signs, the protesters marched through downtown and eventually marched through campus.
Compared to Wednesday’s protest, fewer people showed up to Thursday’s march. The group was primarily led by April Taylor, who has organized numerous protests on racial justice in recent months. Taylor urged protesters to stay on the sidewalks during the march if they didn’t want to be arrested. Taylor acknowledged that she had been charged during two separate protests in June and July.
Officers and protesters stood opposite each other on Avenue of Champions prior to the detainment of four people. Police gave multiple commands using the speaker on an undercover cruiser. After the warnings, officers approached the protesters who refused to leave the street and spoke with them for a few minutes before putting them in handcuffs.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 10:00 PM.