Daily Lobo 9/28/2020

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Monday, S eptember 28, 2020 | Vo l u m e 1 2 5 | I s s u e 8

Breonna Taylor verdict sparks nightly protests in Albuquerque

John Scott / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo

Protesters sit in lanes of traffic on Central Avenue and listen to Black New Mexico Movement organizers speak over a PA system on Friday, Sept. 25.

By Bella Davis @bladvs Joining nationwide protests over the grand jury verdict in the police murder of Breonna Taylor, protesters in Albuquerque have taken to the streets every night since the decision to not indict the officers was announced on Sept. 23. Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman killed in her apartment by Louisville, Kentucky. police officers during the execution of a no-knock warrant in March. A grand jury indicted one officer, Brett Hankison,

for wanton endangerment for his actions that night, but none of the three officers who fired shots are facing charges for Taylor’s murder. Night one, Sept. 23: 4 mile march on Central Roughly 100 protesters met at the University of New Mexico bookstore at 6 p.m. and occupied the Central and Cornell intersection, where Black New Mexico Movement (BNMM) organizers gave impassioned speeches. Organizer Barbara Jordan spoke about the wanton endangerment charge, which Hankison is only facing because several of the bullets he

College voters poised to impact 2020 election

Biden leads overwhelmingly among national student population By William Bowen & Liam DeBonis @BowenWrites @LiamDeBonis As the 2020 general election approaches, the role college voters might play is taking shape. Early polling indicates young voters are highly engaged and that college students strongly favor Democratic nominee Joe Biden, making them a potentially pivotal group. Voters aged 18–29 turned out in the 2018 midterm elections at a higher rate than any time in the last 30 years, according to U.S. Census data. Furthermore, over 70% of college students surveyed in a recent poll by College Pulse said they were definitely voting.

The majority of college students polled are planning to vote for Biden instead of President Donald Trump — but the trend seems to be driven by disdain for the president, not enthusiasm for Biden. The same poll shows only 19% of students view Trump favorably, while 49% view Biden favorably. When asked who they would vote for, the student population overwhelmingly chose Biden, at a rate of 70% against a paltry 18% for Trump. “I expect (Democratic voters) are treating this as a referendum against Trump and the policies that he has put in place,” said Jessica Feezell, an assistant professor of political science at the University of New Mexico. “Specifically policies that hurt people of color, children of immigrants, LGBTQ populations — a lot of those demo-

fired outside of Taylor’s apartment went into a neighboring unit. “(Taylor’s) mother was reminded that a fucking wall is worth more than her Black life, and we’re supposed to be OK with it? When will my Black life matter?” Jordan said. The crowd marched west on Central Avenue, where they briefly encountered a lone counter-protester who shouted, “Blue lives matter, the police department matters.” Organizers tried to defuse the situation by keeping the crowd moving as the man followed along before eventually leaving. The march stopped downtown graphics.” The Daily Lobo asked for feedback on social media about the election, and many of the respondents said they were unenthusiastically casting their vote for Biden. “This election I’m planning to vote Biden,” said one respondent who requested anonymity. “Consider me part of the ‘Biden, but this is bullshit 2020’ crowd.” Most respondents echoed the sentiment. “Biden. Yes, the other old white guy,” UNM senior Jordan Moats responded. “My priority right now is getting Trump out of office…We shouldn’t have to beg our leaders to believe in science, empathy and reason.” Not all respondents, though, were interested in voting for Biden. “Biden is a weak leader, period,” said UNM sophomore Son’iah Martinez-Silas, who is planning to vote for Trump. “He can barely express his thoughts and opinions.” Recent polling data is reminiscent of the 2016 election. In August 2016, Hillary Clinton’s favorability was only 42%, but she led Trump in national polls by a 7.4 point margin. Many respondents saw a similarity

near Robinson Park, where speeches continued and a moment of silence was held for Taylor, before protesters went back up Central and dispersed at the campus bookstore. Night two, Sept. 24: Protesters march through a busy Nob Hill Meeting again at the bookstore, protesters went north through main campus before circling back to Central and marching through Nob Hill. Organizers instructed the crowd to move from the street to the sidewalk to see if the Albuquerque Police Department — which, throughout the summer, responded to protests by barricading streets —

would allow traffic to pass through, which they did. Protesters then moved back into the middle of the street, where cars drove by on either side and restaurant patrons looked on. “It could’ve been any one of you all, so just know that everybody in this street would be riding for you all just the way we’re riding for who? Breonna Taylor!” organizer Arthur Bell said, addressing the restaurant patrons. The protest ended at around 9 p.m.

see

Courtesy Photo

Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash.

between the two elections, with one calling Biden’s campaign “Hillary 2.0” and another saying it feels “like another 2016 election.” In the Democratic primary, college students supported Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Weekly polling by College Pulse shows Sanders ended his campaign with a 71% favorability rating among college students, with Biden at 24%.

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“I was really looking forward to casting my vote for Sanders,” UNM junior Ashley Varela said. “When he dropped out…I felt very disillusioned. I’ll be (voting) for Biden, but not because I believe in him. It’s the only way I think we can get through this pandemic and keep our democracy.” Sanders’ national polling against

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