From Columbus IndyMedia - Friday, December 30, 2005
Around 400 people, mostly Somalian, gathered around Columbus’ city hall today at 2pm to protest the death of Nasir Abdi. Abdi, 23, who has a history of mental illness was shot Wednesday by four Franklin County Sheriffs as they attempted to take him from his home to be committed in a mental hospital that force-fed him medications on a previous visit.
The protest began in front of the city hall building with most protesters holding signs saying things like “Nasir Abdi needed medication not a bullet” and “the Somali community mourns the unjust death of Nasir Abdi”. The protesters also had pictures of police officers drawn like cowboys shooting Abdi as well as pictures of Abdi.
The mood of the protesters was angry over the death but with an empowered overtone as the protesters shook their fists in the air. Around 2:45 the protesters with a mock casket at the lead began to march around city hall, which went around several times in between stops in front of city hall, going along the sidewalks chanting “we want justice!” and “no justice, no peace!”
The police presence was large for the protesters’ numbers, which were shy of the expected 2000. The police stationed horses in the front of city hall and watched the protesters by bicycle and by car, but thankfully they were not violent and did not try to provoke the crowd.
The protesters disputed early claims by other media sources about the allegation that Abdi was armed with a six-inch kitchen knife and had provoked the police into responding with deadly force. Some claim that Somali and non-Somali witnesses to the tragedy saw no knife and fear a cover-up. The Somalian community is demanding a full investigation into the matter.
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