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MSU Medical Students march in protest of Patrick Lyoya shooting

MSU medical students and faculty march down Division Ave. Friday afternoon protesting the death of Patrick Lyoya.
Daniel Boothe
/
WGVU
MSU medical students and faculty march down Division Ave. Friday afternoon protesting the death of Patrick Lyoya.

Lead organizer says they are marching because racism a 'public health issue'

Medical students and faculty from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine marched through downtown Grand Rapids Friday afternoon in protest over the death of Patrick Lyoya.

All of them wearing their traditional white lab coats, an estimated two hundred protestors marched down Division Avenue Friday carrying signs and chanting phrases like "say his name! Patrick" and "black lives matter!"p[p09999999

Catching up with organizer Marissa Solorzano mid stride, I asked her why she and other medical students felt the need to protest.

“As future physicians, we need to be a part of this conversation,” Solorzano said. “Racism is a public health issue, and for us to not say that black lives matter, (would) be an inadequacy. We believe that we have to be here, in the streets of Grand Rapids protesting and standing in solidarity with our community. If we are going to be the new face of medicine, we must say his name.”

The protest Friday is just one of many that are scheduled over the Easter Weekend, as the investigation of the shooting incident continues to be under investigation by the Michigan State Police.

On Thursday Patrick’s parents addressed the media, calling their son’s death an execution, and demanded the police officer be fired and charged with his murder.

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