Dorchester middle-school students protest

Students in the upper grades at the Joseph Lee K-8 School in Dorchester held a two-hour Black Lives Matter protest this morning.

Kids who'd brought in permission slips walked from the school to the intersection of Blue Hill and Talbot avenues, where they chanted slogans such as "Hands up! Don't Shoot!" and "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!"

Several teachers stood with them; three BPD cruisers and officers were parked on Blue Hill Avenue. Many passing motorists honked in support.

Here's a memo that was sent to students:

We, the students and the staff of the Joseph Lee School are planning a demonstration to support and increase awareness that ALL lives matter, inspired by the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and so many more. We need not only the voices of our youth but the support of the adults to protest against the unjust police brutality, inequality, and racial profiling taking place across the nation as well as right here in our community. We not only want the support from YOU but the support from your family, too. These injustices based on race have been happening our whole lives. If the majority of our society have accepted same sex marriage, why can’t we come together as a community to address racial inequalities?

This demonstration is a serious matter that effects our entire community. Just think, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown could have been a student at this school ... or could even have been you.

The school has given us permission to not wear school uniforms on the 16th. Please wear all black attire to demonstrate unity. Remember that it is going to be cold!! Dress warm.