Police in Riot Gear Stormed a Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain and Broke it Up With Pepper Spray

By Elias
Marat

Police in Colorado have caused an uproar after they barged in on
a peaceful protest demanding justice for unarmed 23-year-old Black
man Elijah McClain and began using physical force including pepper
spray as they dispersed the crowd.

Officers with the Aurora Police Department could be seen
marching into the calm Saturday protest clad in full riot gear
before brutally breaking it up. In footage from the event, a group
of protesters who maintain social distance can be seen holding
signs and watching as some violinists performed during dusk.

The violin vigil was a tribute to the fact that McClain, who was
brutally killed during an arrest last August, was a skillful
violinist who was known for putting on small concerts for cats and
dogs at the community animal shelter during his lunch breaks. The
violin vigil included six-time Grammy nominee Ashanti Floyd from
Georgia, and Lee England Jr. from New York City, and was meant to
conclude the day’s events.

In video of the event shared online, the tranquil event appears
to be proceeding normally before the police abruptly appeared at
the lawn outside the Aurora Municipal Center. Suddenly, the
violinists’ music is interrupted by the sound of the crowd crying
“No!” as police begin manhandling and attacking the crowd.

In one recording, a woman pleads with the police to stop as the
officers clad in full tactical gear including helmets, bulletproof
vests, and gas masks prepare to remove the protesters from the
public park by force.

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Aurora PD breaking up the
peaceful violin vigil for the very kid they murdered.
#ElijahMclain pic.twitter.com/OP4TlawVk5

— Jessie B (@jessiedesigngal)
June 28, 2020

Protesters peacefully refused to comply with the orders to
disperse while forming a human chain around the violinists to
protect them from the Aurora Police Department onslaught.

Attendees allege that at some point police used, or threatened
to use tear gas – a chemical weapon banned from war by
international treaties – against the protesters. However, an APD
spokesperson denied the allegation while admitting to the
Cut that “there was pepper spray deployed.”

Peaceful gathering to honor
the life of
#ElijahMcClain turned in a hostile “unlawful protest”.
@AuroraPD
antagonized peaceful protestors and put people in harm and used
teargas to dispurse people attending a vigil. Shameful! pic.twitter.com/HtWS3mxFc2

— Carlos Espino (@CarlitoPlanet)
June 28, 2020

The events on Saturday began without any incident during the
afternoon as local organizations led a rally and march from a park
between APD headquarters and the Aurora Municipal Center. Student
groups also led a separate rally and march that would have ended
with the violin vigil in Aurora’s City Center Park.

Marchers walked without incident behind a banner that read,
“Justice for Elijah McClain, murdered by Aurora police.”

The @AuroraPD
used tear gas canisters and aggressively pushed peaceful protestors
out of the park where they were watching a violin vigil to
#ElijahMcClain Take a look at the videos and see if this seems
like an appropriate response by the APD. pic.twitter.com/LWI1IyE4Lk

— Jolene Fisher (@fisherjolene)
June 28, 2020

Despite the lack of any violent incidents or unrest, however,
police had a strong presence – leading some in the crowd to
chant, “Why are you in riot gear? We don’t see no riot
here.”

At around 8:30 p.m., however, the police began initiating
aggressive tactics against the crowd. Carlos Espino, who attended
the event, told the Cut that cops “quickly started moving in on
just all protesters, getting them to move away and step back.” At
that point he saw a “smoke plume in the air” that he believed
to be tear gas. Others claim that the smoke, which Espino said had
a strong chemical odor, may have been from smoke bombs.

When protesters were finally forced into a parking lot, the
violinists continued performing while some singers broke into song
to defiantly, yet peacefully, resist the officers’ aggression.
However, police continued to charge the crowd.

It was a beautiful and
peaceful violin vigil until @AuroraPD
starting tear gassing people !!!!!!!
#JusticeForElijahMcClain
#FuckAPD pic.twitter.com/2OArKgzrs9

— ً (@MacDaddyCJ)
June 28, 2020

Three people were eventually arrested for violating lawful
orders after warnings were given.

The police had issued a statement Saturday noting that while
they support a peaceful protest, they would be vigilant about the
presence of alleged “outsiders” with violent goals. Organizers
saw the warning as ominous and seeking to justify in advance the
police repression that took place.

“The Aurora Police Department has responded by circulating
rumors of a `violent threat´ in order to intimidate organizers and
attendees and to justify mobilizing a militarized police response
to crack down on protesters,” a local chapter of the Party for
Socialism and Liberation said in a statement quoted by
New York Times.

The altercations of Saturday evening are likely to result in
further anger and mistrust toward Aurora police.

The Aurora community held a
vigil with live music in honor of Elijah McClain and the cops
decided to come in and use fucking tear gas on them…APPARENTLY WE
DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO MOURN THE LOSS OF AN INNOCENT LIFE!!!

#AbolishThePolice pic.twitter.com/oDDeuEZyY9

— Laur (@lsimon210)
June 28, 2020

McClain’s death at the hands of Aurora police had only led to
small protests over the last 10 months but came under renewed
attention following the apparent murder of George Floyd by a
Minneapolis cop on May 25.

Police in Aurora were responding to a call of a suspicious
person wearing a ski mask and waving his arms while walking down
the street. McClain’s sister later told
Denver7 that he would sometimes wear an open-face ski mask
because he “had anemia and would sometimes get cold.”

McClain, a certified massage therapist and self-taught violin
player, was running an errand when officers tried to detain
him.

Police claim that McClain, who was unarmed and often listened to
music as he walked home, allegedly refused officer commands to stop
walking before “a struggle ensued” and the small-framed young
man allegedly fought back as officers tried to take him into
custody. Officers allege that he tried to take one of their
guns.

“I have a right to stop you because you’re being
suspicious,” an officer is heard on a body camera recording
telling McClain.In the meantime, officers used a carotid hold –
a chokehold that cuts off the flow of blood to the brain –
against the young man.

Aurora Fire Rescue then injected him with a large dose of
ketamine in an attempt to sedate him.

As
#Aurora municipal security forces lost patience with how long
it was taking to illegally evict us from the
#ElijahMcClain violin vigil, they began deploying chemical
agents directly into protesters faces and at protesters that were
fleeing while attempting to make arrests pic.twitter.com/ElDeu8Q4LD

— dula lipa (@dulapalooza)
June 28, 2020

McClain suffered cardiac arrest while en route to the hospital
before he was later declared brain dead, and eventually taken off
life support.

The haunting last words of Elijah McClain, transcribed from
police video, have been widely shared since his death. He said:

I can’t breathe. I have my ID right here. My name is Elijah
McClain. That’s my house. I was just going home. I’m an
introvert. I’m just different. That’s all. I’m so sorry. I
have no gun. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t do any fighting.
Why are you attacking me? I don’t even kill flies! I don’t eat
meat! But I don’t judge people, I don’t judge people who do eat
meat. Forgive me. All I was trying to do was become better. I will
do it. I will do anything. Sacrifice my identity, I’ll do it. You
all are phenomenal. You are beautiful and I love you. Try to
forgive me. I’m a mood Gemini. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Ow,
that really hurt. You are all very strong. Teamwork makes the dream
work. Oh, I’m sorry I wasn’t trying to do that. I just can’t
breathe correctly.

Three officers were eventually placed on leave but District
Attorney Dave Young allowed them to return to the force on the
grounds that there was insufficient evidence to charge them.

Last Thursday, Governor Jared Polis ordered prosecutors to
reopen the investigation.

Here’s the moment @AuroraPD
decided to bash and pepper spray protesters who were peacefully
protesting the murder of
#ElijahMclain. No rocks. No sticks. No water bottles. This was
instigated by the police.#blm

#Auroraprotest
#denverprotest pic.twitter.com/no5eo93M44

— blm | adam (@adamjtru)
June 28, 2020

Source:
The Mind Unleashed

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Police in Riot Gear Stormed a Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain and
Broke it Up With Pepper Spray

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