On June 26, protesters met at the Allen Premium Outlets shopping center in Fairview, Texas, to demand justice for Marvin Scott III. Scott had been profiled and detained by the city of Allen Police Department on March 14, before being tortured and killed by a group of eight Collin County Sheriff’s deputies.
Months of pressure and protest led to the firing of deputies involved in the killing, but a jury failed to indict anyone among the deputies for Scott’s death. This protest sought to change that, demanding a release of all video footage from Marvin Scott’s killing as well as the arrest of the eight deputies.
As the march progressed past high-end retail stores and restaurants, the workers of a Wetzel’s Pretzels staged a walkout and joined the march.
“We weren’t planning to walk out of work to join, but once I saw them, I just felt like we should,” said Dru Stigall, one of the employees who organized the walk out.
The workers placed a flyer at the register that they received from a Party for Socialism and Liberation organizer and left the restaurant, chanting with the protesters. They were not retaliated against by management.
The crowd of protesters was met with support from shoppers and car traffic, but also faced hostility from an armed fascist militia attempting to intimidate them. In face of threats from fascists at an intersection, protesters kneeled, raised their fists, and chanted, “Say his name: Marvin Scott III!”
As the march circled around to the mall again, the far-right counterprotesters attempted to disrupt with insults and verbal attacks, while marchers gathered for a prayer. The fascists failed to defeat or intimidate the protesters.
“They’re trying to intimidate me, all of us, from going” said Michael, an anti-racist activist who participated in the protest. “That makes me feel like we should go.” Protesters volunteered to be accountable for each other’s safety and everyone returned home safe, motivated and inspired to come out again. Scott’s family and friends remain undeterred in their quest for justice.
