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By Lowell Rose Rochester
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. Just three days after a 9-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by Rochester police, the community responded with protests.
“We’re out here today because once again a child has been put in a position where she needs to be protected from the law,” Shalonda Jones, from the Community Justice Initiative, said.
Protesters say Rochester police officers have repeated an act because procedures and policies are not in place to protest children. They’re referring to another incident last year where Rochester police handcuffed a child.
Community Justice Initiative organized the event, which started on North Clinton Avenue before a march, which ended outside of a police substation.
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Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Outrage and condemnation quickly followed from various voices in the city.
At 6:30 Sunday night, community members got the opportunity to speak their mind on the incident during a virtual conversation facilitated by Free The People Roc, the Community Justice Initiative and the Avenue Blackbox Theatre.
Hundreds of people viewed the Facebook Live video in which local advocates, activists, and concerned community members talked through their frustration.
Ashley Gantt of Free The People Roc wanted to clarify that the conversation wasn t just to discuss the issue but to demand action be taken against the officers involved. Sometimes you talk about things and feel better about it but as we talk, I m not feeling better; in fact, I m getting more and more angry, Gantt said. I want to be clear that we re just not having a conversation, but we re asking for things. One of the things we are asking for is that these officers are fired.