The Roos win their first game of the season

Jalen McNeal, Staff Writer • November 8, 2024

The Kansas City Roos men’s basketball team got their season off to a great start with a 91-68 win over the Hannibal-LaGrange Trojans on...

The World Got Away by UMKC alumnus Mikel Rouse

UMKC alumnus publishes an unconventional memoir about counter poetry, uniqueness and opera

Hali Smith, Staff Writer • November 7, 2024

Earlier this spring UMKC Conservatory and Kansas City Art Institute alumnus Mikel Rouse published his memoir “The World Got Away.” The...

Dance major Christian Lunn performing during Night/Shift at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.

UMKC Conservatory students bring photos to life in pop-up performances at the Nelson Atkins

Brenna Oxley, Staff Writer • November 6, 2024

UMKC Conservatory students challenged attendees to look deeper into the story behind three fine art photos at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art...

Voices from campus: reactions to the upcoming election

Aubrionna Mead, Staff Writer • November 5, 2024

As the polls wrap up with their final voters, students shared their hopes and concerns for the results of the 2024 election. Currently,...

Representative from BLAQUEKC speaks to students.

Student organizations put on a voter resource fair to bring ballot awareness to campus

Alexandrea Erisman and Liv Centa • October 30, 2024

Hoping to mobilize the youth vote in an especially historic election, UMKC students held a resource fair to offer voters guides, sample ballots...

The Roos win their first game of the season

Jalen McNeal, Staff Writer • November 8, 2024

The Kansas City Roos men’s basketball team got their season off to a great start with a 91-68 win over the Hannibal-LaGrange Trojans on...

UMKC alumnus publishes an unconventional memoir about counter poetry, uniqueness and opera

Hali Smith, Staff Writer • November 7, 2024

Earlier this spring UMKC Conservatory and Kansas City Art Institute alumnus Mikel Rouse published his memoir “The World Got Away.” The...

UMKC Conservatory students bring photos to life in pop-up performances at the Nelson Atkins

Brenna Oxley, Staff Writer • November 6, 2024

UMKC Conservatory students challenged attendees to look deeper into the story behind three fine art photos at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art...

Voices from campus: reactions to the upcoming election

Aubrionna Mead, Staff Writer • November 5, 2024

As the polls wrap up with their final voters, students shared their hopes and concerns for the results of the 2024 election. Currently,...

Student organizations put on a voter resource fair to bring ballot awareness to campus

Alexandrea Erisman and Liv Centa • October 30, 2024

Hoping to mobilize the youth vote in an especially historic election, UMKC students held a resource fair to offer voters guides, sample ballots...

Photo Essay: Scenes from the Kansas City Hall Plaza occupation

Gabrial Nell

October 5, 2020

Protesters taped signs onto a statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of City Hall. Multiple signs call for KCPD Police Chief Rick Smith’s resignation, reading, “CHIEF SMITH HAS GOT TO GO!” and “REMOVE CHIEF SMITH.”

Pictured is one of the official witnesses at the occupation, who are brought to be legal observers of the events.

Protesters set up tents, preparing for the rain that came late on Friday night. Protest leaders organized sleeping shifts for the demonstrators, so that there were always people keeping watch.

Protest organizers provided food, water and other beverages for the protesters. Medical professionals and security also attended the occupation to assist and help keep protesters safe.

At the base of the Lincoln statue, the names and photos of people who were killed by police fill poster boards. Other signs at the base of the statue read “KCPD IS GUILTY OF WAR CRIMES” and show the KCPD logo with “KILLER COPS WANTED FOR MURDER” written adjacent to it.

Individuals participating in the demonstration are spaced out on the City Hall Plaza, keeping in line with social distancing measures. Speakers played music throughout the day, but were turned off due to some protesters’ fears that the police would use the noise as a reason to break up the protest.

Attorney and local organizer and activist Stacy Shaw played an instrumental role in organizing the occupation. Shaw attended and organized protests throughout the summer and has been arrested twice during protests.

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