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Middle Schoolers Rally Against Police Brutality

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The rallies against police brutality that swept across the nation continue in Baltimore. This time, at one of the city's top middle schools.

The mother of one of the unarmed men recently killed at the hands of police joins in on the student protest.

Gigi Barnett has more.

The rally cry is the same heard across the nation, but these protestors are middle schoolers. At Kipp Ujima Village in Northwest Baltimore.

The demonstration against police brutality and in support of Michael Brown and Eric Garner is completely student-led.

"Our kids wanted to talk about it. They needed an outlet, they wanted to discuss it. And we don't have answers for them. We're not telling them what they need to think about this," said Principal Michael Lucas, Kipp Ujima Village.

"We need justice and I think I need my voice to be heard so we can make a change," said Jewel Bell, student.

At the very front of this demonstration is Garner's mother, Gwen Carr. Back in July, he died in a choke hold by New York Police, all while telling officers in the case were never indicted.

"This justice system, it definitely needs an overhaul. Somebody needs to come with a calibrator," said Carr.

Carr made the trip to the Kipp campus, supporting students and rallying for her son. Her fear is that this scene will happen again to future generations.

"We have to stand for them now so we won't have to come back here for them because of police brutality or because someone took their unjustly," she said.

The rally started as a classroom discussion and morphed to a rally around their school. Students say they're top concern: a justice system they call broken.

"We turn on our TV and we see another police brutality. That's how we learn that the justice system works with no indictments made. We know the justice system doesn't work," student Philip Key said.

Not all of the Kip students participated in the rally against police brutality. Some opted not to join in support of the justice system and police.

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