A group of demonstrators organized by the NAACP set off on a weeklong, 120-mile march Saturday from Ferguson, Missouri, to Gov. Jay Nixon’s home in Jefferson City.
The roughly 250 marchers left Saturday afternoon from the Canfield memorial, where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot Aug. 9 by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, USA Today reported.
“This is a nonviolent march. This is a peaceful march, and we’re seeking systemic, fundamental reform of policing in this country,” said NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks. He said reform begins with state legislation against racial profiling by police.
“Marches have a deep grounding in American history and civil rights history,” Mr. Brooks told The Washington Post. “This march, like the Selma-to-Montgomery march, is really a pilgrimage, predicated on prayer and a moral grounding.”
Mr. Brooks said the marchers are also demanding a change in leadership of the Ferguson police department and for the department to start requiring police to wear body cameras.
The protesters plan to march from early morning until sunset every day until they reach Mr. Nixon’s mansion. Police are not escorting the march but say they will monitor it along the route, USA Today reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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