After a Pleasant Grove, Alabama teen went viral for confronting a school official over a Trayvon Martin sign, the teen gathered 150 protesters to bring awareness to police brutality in a demonstration earlier this week.
On Friday, Sept. 30, Facebook user Gabby Bowie told her followers that she was pulled into the assistant principal’s office after wearing a Trayvon Martin sign. The sign— with “I was walking -Trayvon Martin” written on it—- was meant to bring attention to the shootings of unarmed Black people by police. However, the official insists that Martin’s death is 4-years-old and not relevant today.
In the viral video, Gabby says that his death is no different than other cases involving actual police. From the opening minutes, the two spar over her alleged violation of school conduct. The official explains that her sign is a distraction and can “cause problems.” At one point, he compares the sign to a Confederate flag. But the young woman tries to make her case by pointing out that the supreme court case Tinker vs. Des Moines allows her to wear items of protest.
According to Alabama news outlet WBRC, Gabby staged a morning protest Monday responding to the incident. Nearly 150 students of various races stood in solidarity with her.
“I was thinking this could be my brother. This could be my dad or something,” Bowie tells reporters. “That’s my goal is to make everyone aware. Because the police [are] getting in trouble, now more people are hearing about it.”
WBRC reports that Pleasant Grove High School principal Wayne Byram said that students can wear the signs. However, their signs can not cause a disruption and they must be worn under certain conditions.
“As long as it doesn’t interrupt the educational process. As soon as we feel like that is happening, then we will put an end to it.”
