Activists and protestors marched through Saraland, Alabama on Sunday to protest the mistreatment of Chikesia Clemons.
The march was organized by several organizations, including the NAACP, The Women’s March and Black Lives Matter. The event began with a rally featuring passionate speeches from several attendees.
In late April, Clemons was violently arrested at an Alabama Waffle House over a dispute stemming from $.50 utensils. Police dragged her to the ground, choked her and caused her breasts to be exposed. The incident shortly became a small blip on mainstream media's radar. But activists have demanded justice for Clemons by calling for Waffle House sit-ins and boycotts. The Mobile, AL Waffle House where the arrest took place claimed police were justified in their actions.
"This is about justice for Chikesia Clemons, an unarmed black woman who was assaulted and battered by the Saraland Police Department,” civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump told demonstrators. “She was thrown on the ground, threatened, disrobed of her civil rights and human rights violated and is unacceptable and we refuse to allow them to think they're going to get away with it.”
Tamika Mallory, co-chair of The Women’s March, called out white people who have been weaponizing the police against black people.
"There's a phenomenon, if you will, of people around this country calling the police on black folks who are unarmed and who are really just going about normal life,” Mallory said to Fox 10 TV. “With that being said, it is not far-fetched that the police would show up to do what they often do which is to be the aggressors."
We demand justice for #ChikesiaClemons! We are here in the same @WaffleHouse where Chikesia was wrongfully arrested and abused. Saraland Police Department we demand all charges be dropped. #BlackWomenMatter. pic.twitter.com/bsA65y3GiI
— Women's March (@womensmarch) May 20, 2018
Clemons briefly addressed the crowd, which included "Love & Hip-Hop: New York" star Yandy Smith as well as Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett, to thank them for their support:
"It's like very overwhelming and I just thank y'all so much."
The Facebook page for the March For Justice posted footage of the rally:
After the rally, the crowd marched to the Waffle House where Clemons was arrested and continued to protest. It was there they listed their three demands.
"The first demand, drop all charges against Chikesia Clemons. The second demand is to fire the Saraland police officers who assaulted her. The third demand is to fire the Waffle House employee who called the police on her," they said.
There were no arrests made during the protests.
Clemons was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
