Roughly 13,000 people showed up to the protest in Lansing, at the Capitol Building, on Dec. 11. When I arrived around 11:00 AM there was a steady stream of people leaving but also others coming to take their places. The crowds seemed happy, generally, with exceptions around a busted up tent to the left and back from the Capitol steps and up on the Capitol steps themselves. The crowds tensed up later with the arrival of some menacing police in riot gear but did not escalate to violence, nor did they leave. Police on horseback attempted to clear space twice, once near the Capitol Building and then again in front of the George W. Romney building, both times unsuccessfully.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson gave a speech to a crowd that spilled into the street. He was followed by union members and many others. You can listen to a section of the speech Jackson gave below.
Part of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Speech
