SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – A local vigil is honoring an unarmed black teen who was shot to death by police in Missouri.
Thursday night there were peaceful protests and laughter in the streets of
Also on Thursday, activists and mourners in City Heights wrapped red sashes with the hashtag
that stands for National Moment of Silence 14, calling for justice after the death of Michael Brown and other victims of police brutality.
"I hear more about people looting and the fact that someone is burning a business than the injustice of Michael Brown being shot," said participant Tory Robinson.
San Diegans watched the news coverage of looters burning stores, police in helmets and riot gear firing off tear gas. Now activists want change, calling for law enforcement accountability and for peace.
"That's not America, right?" one participant said.
In the sea of red sashes there was a younger generation with their parents.
“It's hard to break it to children exactly what's going on,” said Melvin Howard.
The father of three multi-racial children says it's difficult to explain the chaos and controversy, “I make sure they have a lot of self-pride and they understand who they are,” said Howard. “I don't want to push my own opinions on them.”
The father says he wants his children to form their own opinion by listening to the different people and views at the demonstration.
Another father brought his five-year-old daughter to the vigil for Michael Brown and other victims of police brutality.
“I want her to understand the reality of life,” said Tory Robinson. “As she gets older she will know when ugly things happen in the world people do care and people do stand up.”
The children may be too young to grasp the message but parents say taking a stand has no boundaries on age or race.
“They can be a part of it and they can grow with it,” said Howard.
The American Civil Liberties Union in Missouri filed a lawsuit on Thursday to obtain the incident report involving the Michael Brown case. The organization had previously been denied access to the report. The ACLU also filed suit about police policy that orders media and the public to not record them during police activities on the street.
The vigils were held across America. President Obama has also called for peace.