Santa Barbara police, protestors unite during demonstration
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — With the support of students from high schools across town, San Marcos junior Shakir Ahmad organized a massive protest Sunday afternoon.
"If we have all the youth banded together, I think we can make a change,” Ahmad said.
Talia Hamilton is a fellow classmate of Ahmad at San Marcos and also helped organize this peaceful demonstration.
“We wanted to really put something together for the youth because we're the next generation,” Hamilton said. “Our words are really impactful."
As hundreds of people gathered in front of Stearns Wharf, many united together through song, speech and spirit.
"I don't think anyone understands the extent of how amazing this is,” Hamilton said. “It’s really beautiful."
"It just shows that people realize this is an issue and they want change,” Ahmad added.
Prior to the protest, these teens worked together with the Santa Barbara Police Department in order to achieve peace between both sides.
"They reached out to me and they wanted to be a part of helping out,” Ahmad said. “Of course I let them help because I wanted this to be as safe as possible for everybody."
“Our command staff worked in unison with those protest organizers to protect their inherent right to peacefully protest,” Santa Barbara Police Public Information Officer Anthony Wagner said.
The police blocked off portions of East Cabrillo Boulevard for the initial gathering before helping escort the crowd down State Street.
One protestor seemed to appreciate the mutual respect between both sides.
"I think it's important to keep protests peaceful because that's the only way people are going to listen,” Campbell Hodina said.
The protestors marched through the Santa Barbara Unified School District headquarters before heading towards the City of Santa Barbara Police Department.
Upon their arrival, every police officer took a knee in solidarity with the protestors.
"This is exactly what we wanted to happen and we're grateful to the thousands of youth that were here,” Wagner said. “We heard their voice, we heard their unison and we look forward to working with them."
Looking ahead, these teens hope to make a positive impact within the community.
"I hope that people look at this protest and see that the younger generation isn't going to stand for something like this,” Hamilton concluded. “We're actually going to make a change."
