Protest over Stephon Clark shooting closes Golden 1 Center for the second time in a week

Nicholas Koeneke - The State Hornet

Protesters clash outside of the Golden 1 Center before the Sacramento Kings hosted the Dallas Mavericks on March 27, 2018.

Demonstrators gathered outside the Golden 1 Center on Tuesday night and voiced their displeasure over the shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, by Sacramento police.

The crowd, gathered outside the arena entrances before a Sacramento Kings game, chanted “Stephon Clark” and “join us or go home,” blocking fans and employees from entering the game against the Dallas Mavericks.

“We are not against the Kings or the NBA,” said Sacramento State student and protester Manushi Weerasinghe. “We are trying to get people to understand and question why are we sitting here watching a game when something bigger is happening.”

This is the second demonstration to occur that resulted in the disruption of fans attending Kings games in the past week.

“We want the public to understand why they are being inconvenienced and disrupted,” Weerasinghe said. “It’s because Stephon Clark won’t ever again be able to attend a Kings game.”

Protests have been staged throughout the city in the past week, including one at City Hall and two that blocked a freeway exit.

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A Sacramento City Council meeting occurred today before and during the Kings game which featured comments from citizens and Stephon’s brother Stevante.

The meeting was an opportunity for the public to have an open dialogue with the council and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, but it ended early after Steinberg cited safety concerns.