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Protesters March on Lansing Mayor’s Home Demanding Change...Or Resignation

people on the ground
Kevin Lavery
/
WKAR-MSU
About 200 protestors sit outside the home of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. They came to demand he enact a series of changes to improve the lives of black residents in the city.

Hundreds of protestors marched to the home of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor Saturday, demanding he enact a series of policies to improve the lives of black residents. 

The group left the Capitol grounds around 7 p.m. brandishing signs honoring the memory of George Floyd and denouncing white supremacy. 

 

marching people
Credit Kevin Lavery/WKAR
Protestors march across the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bridge over the Grand River en route to the home of Lansing mayor Andy Schor.

When they reached Mayor Schor’s home, he wasn’t there, so organizer Paul Birdsong called him to arrange a meeting. 

 

We want de-escalation training for the police. We want non-bias training for the police.

 When Schor arrived, Birdsong laid out their demands…backed up by his followers.

 

 

"We want de-escalation training for the police," said Birdsong.  "We want non-bias training for the police.

 

 

Mayor Schor asserts the city does in fact conduct such training for its police force…but he concedes that he must do better to make those efforts more transparent. 

 

“But I’m; we’re not perfect,” Schor admits.  “We need to do more.  We need to listen.  And it’s not just listen…it’s listen and work with folks who have ideas and thoughts, and I’m willing to have these conversations.”

 

We need to do more. We need to listen.

The protestors say Schor must resign if he doesn’t enact their demands. 

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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