There was a protest over the shooting of Alton Sterling yesterday at Pioneer Courthouse Square, and another demonstration is being held there tonight in the wake of the killing of Philando Castile, at 7 PM.
It is being organized by Don’t Shoot Portland, whose name refers to words uttered by Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager shot to death in Ferguson, Missouri, by white police officer Darren Wilson in 2014.
Sterling was shot to death outside of a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while being held down by two officers; Castile was killed yesterday during a traffic stop while driving his girlfriend and her daughter in Falcon Heights, outside of St. Paul, MN. Both incidents were fully or partially captured on video and have been seen by millions around the world, again sparking a painful debate over police brutality and racial disparities in American society and justice.
KBOO reporter Sam Bouman spoke this afternoon with Teressa Raiford, an organizer with Don’t Shoot Portland, about these shootings, police reform in Portland, and the role of the media.
- KBOO