Cops in Riot Gear Stormed a Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain
tulc( )On Saturday, activists in Aurora, Colorado, convened for a peaceful rally and march to demand justice for Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died after a brutal arrest by local police last August. The event included a violin vigil, a nod to the fact that McClain was an accomplished violinist who was known for spending his lunch breaks putting on concerts for the cats and dogs at a community animal shelter. Footage from the event shows a group of quiet participants, most of them socially distanced, holding signs and observing as a few violinists perform at dusk — and then the arrival of a group of officers in riot gear, charging into the crowd. According to attendees, the police went on to deploy pepper spray and use physical force.