2 arrested at Hoover AL mall after banner drop
Hoover AL December 24 2018
Hoover police arrested two Birmingham activists during a banner drop at Riverchase Galleria on Saturday afternoon.
Cara McClure, of Black Lives Matter Birmingham Chapter, and Martez Files, a BLM organizer and an adjunct professor for African American Studies at UAB, were taken into custody shortly after the banner drop started in the food court area of the mall.
McClure is also part of a group of female activists known as the Women of the Movement.
The group organized the banner drop along with a coalition of other activists.
McClure said before her arrest that they wanted to send a message concerning the officer-involved shooting death of Emantic “E.J.” Bradford Jr.
According to a private autopsy, Bradford was shot three times from behind after gunfire erupted inside the mall on Thanksgiving night.
McClure, Files and a few more protesters were silently holding banners that said, “E.J. was murdered here” and “#HooverWrong”.
Police arrived less than ten minutes after the banner drop started at 3:18 p.m. and arrested McClure. The activists were not chanting or making any noise at the time of the arrest.
As McClure was being escorted out of the mall by police, Files asked officers why she was being arrested for trespassing.
“E.J. was killed in this mall by a Hoover cop and then we have to sit here with this trauma every day,” Files said to the officers. “You’re arresting Cara for what? She going to jail for what?”
Files was then arrested for disorderly conduct. Hoover police said McClure was arrested for trespassing. A little more than an hour after their arrests, both activists were released from jail on $500 bonds.
Multiple activists have been arrested following the demonstrations for justice for Bradford. Activists are asking for police to release any footage they have of the shooting as well as policy changes within the police department.
Hoover police initially identified Bradford as the shooter on Thanksgiving night. The next day, police said Bradford most likely did not fire the shots that injured an 18-year-old and a 12-year-old.
The banner drop was a product of the nonviolent civil disobedience training that was held at a Birmingham church two weeks ago. McClure and activist Amber Haywood released a statement prior to the banner drop condemning the police department’s actions so far.
“E.J. Bradford was shot three times from the back, and in the back in the most cowardice manner,” the statement said. “His body then laid, uncovered while shoppers looked on. Afterwards, Hoover’s chief of police stated that he was ‘very, very proud’ of the response by officers after gunfire erupted.”
Women of the Movement is asking for a police review committee with subpoena power and “a complete overhaul of Hoover police department.”
” Hoover doesn’t get to continue to put profits over people while a family mourns the loss of their beloved son during the holiday,” Women of the Movement’s statement said.
AL.com
