Kansas City activists organize Plaza protest after police killing of Daunte Wright
In response to the fatal police-involved shooting of Daunte Wright in suburban Minneapolis, activists from the Kansas City area rallied to heighten awareness of and prompt reforms to address the killings of Black people in police custody.
On Monday evening, the day after Wright’s death, roughly 40 demonstrators gathered in Mill Creek Park near the intersection of West 47th Street and Mill Creek Parkway in a show of support for Wright. Several area activists pointed to his death as yet another example of excessive force by police that disproportionately affects people of color.
Wright, 20, was fatally shot Sunday during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a community of about 30,000 just northwest of Minneapolis. Authorities there said Monday that the officer who shot Wright mistakenly drew a handgun instead of a Taser, striking Wright with one fatal bullet.
In Kansas City, activists voiced concern over local law enforcement practices, saying another death like Wright’s is bound to happen again unless major reforms are put in place.
“These cops right now, they’re getting away with murder,” said one activist, who asked to be identified only by Debbie, her first name.
Chris Bizzle, a leader with Kansas City’s Black Rainbow, described as an organization dedicated to liberating all oppressed people, noted the traffic stop was reportedly initiated over an air freshener that had been hung from Wright’s rearview mirror. He also said Wright was a father, saying his child will now grow up “fatherless.”
“That ain’t right,” Bizzle said, followed by a refrain from the crowd who responded with the sentiment.
“It’s just one thing after another, one thing after another,” Bizzle added. “It’s about to be summertime, so don’t be anxious about coming out. And we got some more work to do.”
The demonstration in the park later became a march down 47th Street, through Kansas City’s upscale Plaza shopping district, where traffic was blocked briefly by marchers. The march took a single loop around the western end of the Plaza before returning to the park just before nightfall.
As they marched, protesters chanted Wright’s name along with other calls including “Black Lives Matter.” Several carried signs calling for law enforcement funding to be cut and for the shootings to stop.
After the march, organizers encouraged those attending to come out for other demonstrations for Wright and in remembrance of George Floyd, whose death occurred roughly a year ago. Several speakers on Monday referenced the protests last summer in Kansas City, promising there would be more in the near future as activists hope to change policing locally and nationally.
Wright’s killing comes as the nation continues to watch the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer criminally charged in the killing of Floyd. It touched off another round of protests in the Minneapolis area that included clashes between protesters and police officers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
