Protesters in Denver decry grand jury decision in Ferguson

Protesters at Civic Center park in Denver said they weren’t surprised that Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the shooting of Michael Brown. However, the news did not lessen the anguish they felt.

“America, you have to do something,” said civil rights activist Alvertis Simmons, choking up as he spoke. “That could have been my son, my grandson, one of your children. We should all have tears in our eyes.”

Following the announcement, Denver Police Chief Robert White said he was praying for “peace and community.” Earlier Monday afternoon, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock also expressed his hope for calm.

“Whatever the grand jury decides in the Ferguson case, my hope is that this community, and our larger American community, will keep in mind that our response sets an example for our children,” Hancock said in a statement.

At the Shorter Community AME Church east of downtown Denver, about 200 people gathered, with visitors encouraged to express their thoughts about the grand jury decision.

“(The decision) was expected, but still very disappointing,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Timothy E. Tyler. “But at the same time, we’re hopeful that we can raise a new generation to fight this injustice. There were certainly a lot of people under the age of 30 here tonight looking for answers.”

Tyler came to Shorter after serving at a church in St. Louis for seven years. He said being in Denver when the decision was announced and seeing the images from Ferguson lent itself to “something of a sense of helplessness.” However, he added that the church could still show its support.

“We’ve taken up an offering and sent it to Ferguson,” he said. “Also, on Thanksgiving some of our people are going to go there; we’re collecting supplies for them to take.”

A crowd of about two dozen people began gathering across from the state Capitol an hour or so before the scheduled announcement of the grand jury decision.

“The people are out in Ferguson, and so we’re out here,” said Jo Cusick, one of the protest organizers.

Hours later, the group. whose numbers had swelled to about 100, marched down Broadway, with some lying down on the streets as Denver police watched.