Ithaca, N.Y. — Coaches and teammates of the Ithaca teens who had a gun pulled on them by a police sergeant turned out Wednesday evening at a rally downtown to show their support.
Although many narratives were in play at the rally — some involving, some excluding race-relations as the central topic of concern — teammates of the boys said that they were there plainly to support their teammates on the Ithaca High School football team.
One teammate, Declan, said that although he’s heard many stories about what happened that night, he did not feel like he was in a place to draw any strong conclusions.
Nevertheless, he still felt like he should come out in support of his teammates.
“I just know that a few of my teammates were affected so I felt like I should show up and show my support for them,” said Declan, a defensive back on the team. “We’re all on the same team, so we share that much.”
Declan said that about 20 players and all of the coaches of the Ithaca High School Football team were in attendance at the rally, which drew a total of over 225 people.
The protest started at around 4 p.m. with a march from the South Side Community Center and continued past 7 p.m., with members of the public speaking at City Hall.
Speeches were given on topics of police violence and structural racism in the city. Attendees held signs saying “Don’t shoot my child” and “Put cameras on cops.” One protester’s sign read “Police: Humanize, don’t militarize.”
Amid the political rhetoric of the event, many speakers urged those in attendance to stay focused on a central worry: the safety of the city’s children. What these boys went through, they said, was dangerous, frightening and unnecessary.
We are providing live updates from the protest.
Full Voice coverage about the police-teens incident & fall-out:
Ithaca police org. slams mayor, calls statement ‘slap in the face’ – The Ithaca Police Benevolent Association has issued several sharp criticisms of Mayor Svante Myrick’s proposed police reforms. The Ithaca Voice
5 key points made by Ithaca police chief in department’s defense – Ithaca police officers receive a small number of complaints a year despite substantial budget cuts and innumerable interactions with the public, Chief John Barber said in a recent speech. The Ithaca Voice
Editorial: Mayor Myrick’s proposed police reforms are bold, innovative and meaningful – They could make a meaningful difference in the everyday lives of some of Ithaca’s most disadvantaged citizens. The Ithaca Voice
Ithaca protesters on police incident: ‘We have to make sure these things don’t happen anymore’ – A few dozen people attended a rally in Ithaca Friday night where speakers took turns criticizing Ithaca’s police department after a sergeant pulled his weapon on two unarmed teenagers. The Ithaca Voice
Ithaca officials call for ‘clear distinction’ between SWAT funding, incident with teens – “Let’s make a clear distinction between the grant for SWAT equipment versus the incident that happened.” The Ithaca Voice
UPDATE: Ithaca police sergeant pulled gun on two, not four, teens – Among the information revealed in the release was that the sergeant pulled his weapon on two, not four, teenagers. The Ithaca Voice
Ithaca police, call records differ on key timing in incident involving unarmed teens – Police have released a statement of “clarification regarding the timeline of events” during the incident. The Ithaca Voice
Mothers say Ithaca police sergeant should not have pulled gun on their teenage sons – Four friends were riding their bicycles to Short Stop Deli on a recent summer’s night when they noticed they were being followed. The Ithaca Voice
Read Mayor Myrick’s full statement on Ithaca police incident involving teens – “I do take the concerns of the affected extremely seriously.” The Ithaca Voice
Ithaca police sergeant pulls gun on unarmed minority teens; mayor promises investigation – Mayor Svante Myrick has promised an investigation into an Ithaca police sergeant’s decision to pull out his gun while pursuing four unarmed 15-year-olds in the city last weekend. The Ithaca Voice