Salt Lake City, UT – More than 1000 people rallied in front of the Wallace Bennett Federal Building on Nov. 29 to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson in their fight for justice. Protesters were both mournful about the police murder of Mike Brown and furious about the failure of the Ferguson grand jury to indict Brown’s killer. The large turnout in Salt Lake City is due to killer cops and police brutality in Utah, where many families are suffering injustices.

The first speaker, Bárbara Ochoa, stated to the crowd's roar of approval, “Ferguson is not in a state of chaos, but a state of revolution.”

Another speaker, Karen Rodriguez said, “This is our time! This is our civil rights movement!” Her speech was interrupted by long applause.

The crowd chanted, “Dare to struggle, dare to win, never silent, never again!” reflecting protest leaders’ and families’ promises that this movement does not end with this protest. Organizers see this as the beginning of a long campaign to get justice for victims of police brutality in Utah.

Asked about the campaign for justice, Chris Manor, organizer for Utah Against Police Brutality said, “There is a truth in this situation – killer cops will no longer be able to get away with murder.”

The rally turned into a march that blocked streets and intersections. First, there was a march to the Matheson Court house, then a march to the Public Safety Building. When arriving at the Public Safety Building the protesters shouted, “From Ferguson to SLC, end police brutality!”

“There is no safety in the Public Safety Building. There is no justice in the courts. We need to look out for each other and there is only justice in the streets!” said Gregory Lucero of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Protesters then marched back to the Federal Building where, in an effort to curb any attempts by the police to intimidate or repress the movement, Gregory Lucero led one last chant and then advised, “When an officer asks you about what somebody did, or who did something, what is the correct response, regardless of what you thought of it? I am happy not to talk to you.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #PoliceBrutality #MichaelBrown #Ferguson #DarrenWilson

Milwaukee, WI – Students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) held a die-in on Nov. 25, in reaction to Ferguson cop Darren Wilson not being indicted for killing Mike Brown. About 40 students participated in the protest and many more watched.

Students yelled, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” then they all simultaneously fell on the floor, lying down to represent the deaths of innocent Black and Brown youth at the hands of police officers. Afterwards, the students gathered and shared their feelings about racist cops and the Darren Wilson grand jury decision.

“I shouldn’t have to worry about being targeted by cops as I wait on the bus stop,” said UWM student Lavelle Young.

#MilwaukeeWI #StudentMovement #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MichaelBrown #Ferguson #DarrenWilson #UWMilwaukee

Gainesville, FL – 100 students and community members protested the Ferguson grand jury decision, the failure to indict police officer Darren Wilson. Gathering at the Alachua County Court House in Gainesville at on Nov. 25, the protesters, wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas, stood in solidarity as the rain fell.

Eric Brown, speaking on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society, emphasized that Michael Brown was one of many police killings, “I have to ask the question. What do we mean when we say Black lives matter? Because for us to move forward, Black lives can't equal Black men, but must include women, trans people, and all the intersections that exist under the identity of Black.”

In between speeches, protesters chanted, “No justice! No peace!”

This past summer, when African Americans and others were protesting Brown’s murder in Ferguson, Palestine was coping with the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Palestinians tweeted and messaged the Ferguson protesters messages of solidarity and ways to deal with tear gas.

Farah Kahn, vice-president of University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine, said, “The solidarity between Ferguson and Palestine shows the strength in uniting against a common enemy. There is a slow genocide happening in Palestine, and there is also a genocide happening right here within the U.S. against Black people and people of color.”

Nailah Summers, a Gainesville activist and the Civic Media Center coordinator, talked after the event, “I think Ferguson and the refusal to indict Darren Wilson for Michael Brown's murder tells us a few things many of us already knew. Black lives are less-than, aren't considered whole and worthy of even the most basic protections of the law. Look at how so much of the commentary following the announcement has revolved around Black 'animals' looting. 108 days fighting for scraps of the justice system and it's all been boiled down to this bullshit narrative.”

Summers continued, “The other thing Ferguson shows us is that it's time to get creative. We've been marching and singing and holding signs for more than half a century. And while all of those things have become inherent parts of our culture and the struggle for freedom, it's not working anymore. So it's time for us to hit the drawing board again because we're ready to fight back, we just have to figure out what that looks like.”

Along with University of Florida SDS and SJP, participating groups included Dream Defenders, Uhuru Sol