Delco residents stage protest against killings by police
UPPER DARBY » A small but enthusiastic crowd stood on the corner of Lansdowne Avenue and State Road Wednesday evening, holding up signs and calling out the names of Black Americans who have died in police shootings.
“George Floyd — say his name,” called out Josh Yeboah on a bull horn. “Breonna Taylor — say her name.”
Added to that list was Duante Wright, the 20-yearold Minnesota man shot by a police officer who says she mistakenly thought she was tasering him during a scuffle following a traffic stop.
“We’re going to continue to keep coming out here, regardless of the racial injustice that’s been going on,” said Carol Kazeem of Chester, a member of Delco Resists, who attended the protest. “What happened with Daunte Wright is very sad and very disturbing. It’s honestly getting out of hand. It’s been out of hand and I’m tired of it. Daunte Wright is just one of many around the country. I’ve a son and I will stand for every youth that faces this kind of injustice and I will be out here for the fight — that’s what we are out here for.”
Passing motorists showed their support for the protestors, raising a din with their honking of horns.
The protest was organized by Delco Resists and a local grassroots group with the initials UDTJ — Understanding, Devotion, Take action and Justice.
“It’s a Black Lives Matter social justice organization that started back in May of 2020 following the death of George Floyd,” said Upper Darby resident and organizer Kyle McIntyre. “We’re sick and tired of coming out and Black people are sick and tired of being traumatized. We need systemic reform. It’s not enough any more for us to just simply ask for people to be better people and do better things; we need reform. Even the change of current administration (nationally) is not providing that change.”
McIntyre said qualified immunity, which prevents government officials, including law enforcement, from being held personally liable for breaking the law, is a protection that needs to end.
“We need national reform from the top down,” McIntyre said. “Clearly, states and localities cannot police their own police and keep them accountable. This country needs to show way more empathy and take action. This isn’t a political issue anymore. It’s everybody against racism.”
McIntyre said he had seen progress locally when township police began wearing body cameras but he would also like to see a police community advisory board. He also suggested that patrol officers shouldn’t carry weapons and that they should de-escalate situations without carrying guns.
“The injustice against Black lives, brown people, police occupation in our towns, the way they suck out funding — what could be social funding for all the residents in towns across America — that’s why I’m here tonight. We need a change,” said Josh Yeboah of Upper Darby.
“We were in the Army and we fought for a vision of the country. While neither of us is still in the Army, both of us are still fighting for this country,” said Jennifer Jackson of Broomall, who was there with her husband Chris and son Dominick.
“There is so much racial injustice we have to take a stand,” said Erin Fadden of Drexel Hill. “It’s insane to me what’s being called an accident (the taser shooting) has been able to happen. It’s hard to believe. All people should be treated the same regardless of what they look like. Anything less is not acceptable.”
Asked if this is a problem locally, Fadden had this to say.
“I think thankfully we have not had things that have drawn the same type of press, but I see it in my neighborhood. I live in walking distance of this street. I’ve seen it with my neighbors treating, maybe a postal worker or a store clerk differently just because the way they look. It’s not okay for me. That’s not where I want to call home, within the community I want to live in. This is the very least I can do is to come out and protest.”