BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A demonstration was held in Bowling Green on Saturday as groups call for justice in the death of Emmett Till.
Till was the 14-year-old boy who was lynched in Drew, Mississippi in 1955.
Carolyn Bryant Donham accused Till of whistling at her and now more than 60 years later, she has been tracked to Bowling Green.
Demonstrations were planned at the Warren County Justice Center, downtown and near the facility Donham is believed to live.
A small group rallied near the apartment complex, marched to a local grocery store parking lot, made speeches and then marched back toward the apartment where Till’s cousin spoke to the crowd.
“The warrant that was found in June said, stated that Carolyn Bryant was there, charged with kidnapping as well as accessory to murder. Why didn’t Carolyn Bryant get charged?” Priscilla Sterling said. “The focus here today is about justice. It’s about America.”
A grand jury in Mississippi declined to indict Bryant in August.
The Christmas Parade, also set for Saturday, was canceled after threats were made towards some of the protesters. Bowling Green police and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office posted a video explaining the potential threat.
“The specific threat is threatening to shoot anyone who is protesting and anyone who is helping the protester,” Sheriff Brett Hightower said. “We have not been able to determine the validity of this threat. It is important to our citizens.”
The FBI and Homeland Security are helping local and state authorities investigate.
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