Demonstrators once again took to the streets of Madison Wednesday, as the community continues to deal with the aftermath of a police shooting that claimed the life of an unarmed biracial teen.
While the Capitol Square saw hundreds of people turn out in support of Madison’s police force on Wednesday evening, on the other end of the central part of the city, hundreds met at a Madison park to continue calling for justice for 19-year-old Tony Robinson. The group, made up largely of area high school students who walked out of classes for a second day this week, started with a short march to a Department of Corrections office building, before continuing on to the Governor’s Mansion in Maple Bluff.
Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin, addressed many of those who gathered for the march. She told the crowd. “All of you have been peaceful, I appreciate that. My son was never a violent man, and I don’t want violence done in his name. I don’t want anger. I want to be able to make a change. I don’t want my son to have died in vain. I want us to be able to make change and do it peacefully. With anger and violence, we will get nowhere.”
Irwin added that Robinson’s funeral will be held Saturday, with a viewing at Madison East High School starting at 2 p.m. She asked any who planned to attend to be peaceful and quiet, adding “I love all of you and thank you. You are making my heart feel so much better.”
A Department of Justice investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
