Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin, said she was not surprised by the decision. The investigation wasn’t thorough enough, she said.
“They could have done a lot. What they didn’t do was give my son any respect,” she said. But family members, as they have since the shooting, asked that protests remain peaceful.
About 100 people gathered at Robinson’s apartment house in the wake of Ozanne’s decision. One of them, Jivonte Davis, 19, said he had known Robinson since the fifth grade.
“I can go out and break stuff and do anything I want right now,” Davis said. “But rioting and everything, what would that achieve? We’re no Ferguson, we’re no Baltimore. We’re going to do this the right way. We’re going to do this peacefully.”
The protesters, eventually estimated by police at 250 to 300 people, began marching to the state Capitol about a mile a half away. Some had dogs and strollers and were bound for a nearby church for a prayer service. Marchers chanted “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” and held a banner that read “Justice for Tony.” They eventually dispersed.
One lead group in organizing earlier protests, the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, had earlier announced plans to demonstrate on Wednesday.