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Educators attending the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers will join with community allies for a rally and march Tuesday, July 19, to mourn Philando Castile and demand “community safety beyond policing.”
The rally starts at 4 p.m. outside the Minneapolis Convention Center, where more than 3,000 people from across the country are taking part in the AFT convention.
“We will march for our students, many of whom came to know and love Mr. Phil and who are grieving,” said Saint Paul Federation of Teachers President Denise Rodriguez. “And we will march for all those students throughout the country who have been directly affected by the killing of their family and friends by police.”
Participants in the march are “demanding community safety beyond policing; naming those who profit from unjust and violent systems that are taking the lives of people of color; and demanding investment in community-driven solutions,” organizers said.
Castile, who was African-American, was shot to death July 6 after his car was stopped by police in Falcon Heights. He worked as a nutrition services supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul and was a member of Teamsters Local 320.