Filed under: Action, Anarchist Movement, Anti-fascist, Education, IGD, Southeast, White Supremacy
Hundreds of students, community members, anarchists, and antiracists took to the streets tonight in Chapel Hill, North Carolina against a new university proposal to spend millions on a new facility that would protect and house the “Silent Sam” confederate statue.
Part of a wave of Confederate statues put up across the south to order to whitewash the history of the Confederacy from that of white supremacy to the so-called Lost Cause of “state’s rights,” the Silent Sam statue also served as a reminder during the civil rights movement and beyond, that white supremacy was a foundational system of control, backed up through the violence of the police and the courts – in the South – and across America.
After hundreds of students tore down the statue earlier this year, school officials have been wringing their hands about what do about the statue. Their new plan is even more a slap in the face of the local population, as it calls to build a “new building [which] would cost $5.3 million plus $800,000 in annual operating costs,” according to WRAL.com. Many students and faculty pointed out the bitter irony in the lack of raises they have received on campus or the fact that tuition is only increasing, yet somehow the university quickly found founds to build an entirely new building.
Students and community in response mobilized for a rally and took to the streets chanting, “No cops, no Klan, get rid of Silent Sam.” The rally ended with the famous reciting of the words of Black Panther Assata Shakur and many people commenting that the struggle was far from over.
“We have nothing to lose but our chains.” This is how the protest has ended. pic.twitter.com/zWiX54iZAS
— Patsy Montesinos (@MontesinosPatsy) December 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/MontesinosPatsy/status/1069765988630052864
People chanting “WHY ARE YOU WEARING RIOT GEAR? I DON’T SEE NO RIOT HERE.” @WFMY pic.twitter.com/tz5gMZPAxw
— Alma McCarty (@AlmaJMcCarty) December 4, 2018
#SilentSam protestors have taken it to the streets. If you are in the Downtown Chapel Hill area expect traffic delays @WFMY pic.twitter.com/D3Vmd0GBYJ
— Laura Brache (@laura_brache) December 4, 2018
Protesters now marching in the streets – chanting: @WFMY pic.twitter.com/R5GHIz2p7V
— Alma McCarty (@AlmaJMcCarty) December 4, 2018
The protest has now began moving down franklin street. pic.twitter.com/w1q91pMJBX
— Patsy Montesinos (@MontesinosPatsy) December 4, 2018
This is one the biggest crowds that has come out to support the #SilenceSam protest. pic.twitter.com/2cwm8giORF
— Patsy Montesinos (@MontesinosPatsy) December 4, 2018
More speakers condemn University’s actions: @WFMY pic.twitter.com/MZQsJ5ti4O
— Alma McCarty (@AlmaJMcCarty) December 4, 2018
#SilentSam pic.twitter.com/SI53fqY9GT
— Jonathan Michels (@Journo_Jon) December 4, 2018
Protesters speaking out against the $5.3 million proposal to house Silent Sam on a different part of campus @WFMY pic.twitter.com/5DPVTxNXUp
— Alma McCarty (@AlmaJMcCarty) December 4, 2018
First photo of the #SilentSam pedestal was taken this morning around 11:30… This second one of it all boarded up was taken just a few minutes ago @WFMY https://t.co/DWgLpDoxHA pic.twitter.com/cPunlSPkRT
— Laura Brache (@laura_brache) December 3, 2018