Justice for Chikesia Clemons march planned for today

May 20, 2018

Chikesia Clemons thegio — Attorney Ben Crump stands with Chikesia Clemons, center, and her mother on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Mobile, Ala. (Courtesy of Ben Crump Law) and Waffle House (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images)

The fight is still on for Chikesia Clemons and today the family is standing firm and will march in Alabama to put pressure on Waffle House to drop the charges against the woman who was manhandled by police for speaking up about charges she disagreed with on her food bill.

The Justice For Chikesia Clemons Rally & March will kick off today at 1pm at Saraland City Hall in Saraland, Alabama.

Clemons, her civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, and national activists and organizers will take to the streets in protest. As of now, the restaurant chain has not agreed to drop legal proceedings against the 22-year old.

“As it relates to the Saraland Police, it is unacceptable how they assaulted, battered and disrespected this young black woman in the manner we witnessed in the video,” said civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.

“As it relates to the Waffle House corporation, if they do not respect our black women, then they should not expect our black dollars.”

Activists stand with Chikesia

Tamika D. Mallory, national civil rights activist and Co-President of Women’s March, said, “As Black women, we are tired of our sisters being brutalized and assaulted. We know the conduct we saw on the video happens often, and cameras are not always there. Having charges filed is victim blaming at its worst. We will stand with Chikesia until the charges against her are dropped and changes are made within the Saraland Police Department.”

The gut-wrenching video of three White, male Saraland police officers in Mobile, Alabama body slamming and wrestling 25-year-old Chikesia Clemons to the ground in the early hours of April 22, not only went viral on social media, but immediately sparked outrage.

In the cell phone footage, officers can be seen choking Clemons at a Waffle House restaurant and doing nothing to shield her exposed breasts as her strapless dress became undone in the scuffle.

Clemons can be heard pleading, asking officers, what she did she do wrong. In turn, one officer can be heard threatening to break her arm if she didn’t comply with his commands. Her only crime—asking for plastic utensils in order to eat a take-out meal.