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Community College Students Protest Treatment Of Minorities

Mark Schultz/Illinois Public Media
Shameen Razack, president of the Parkland College Social Justice Club, leads a protest of police treatment of minorities.

Students at Parkland Community College in Champaign rallied in support of a student arrested earlier this month. They said police and administrators are “persecuting” black students and teachers.

Members of the Parkland Social Justice club organized the rally Wednesday to protest Parkland Police arresting student Toby Mordi September 7.

The Champaign News-Gazette reported that police wanted to question Mordi about an earlier incident on campus. Mordi allegedly struck a police officer and led them on a foot chase before being arrested.

Shameem Razack is the president of the Parkland Social Justice Club. She says police falsely arrested Mordi and used excessive force. "This has been a trend here and also locally where black people have been criminalized and treated unfairly," Razack said. 

Razack wants students and the public to hold Parkland College police and administrators accountable and stop harassing students based on skin color. The Social Justice Club also wants Parkland to develop a process where students have a say in student discipline.