Several dozen people, many of them neighborhood residents, gathered Saturday afternoon in Falcon Heights to unveil what they called a “pop-up memorial” for Philando Castile, a black man fatally shot by police last summer.
On one side, the polished wooden memorial reads: “Philando Divall Castile, July 16, 1983-July 6, 2016,” with a quote from his mother, Valerie Castile: “Hon, you never talked much here. But you’re making a lot of noise now, Baby!”
The other side has a quote from Nelson Mandela carved into it:
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
The memorial was set up at Larpenteur Avenue and Fry Street, just west of Snelling Avenue, where Castile was shot.
The sculpture was created by architect Kate Lindgren, whose father lives in Falcon Heights. The engraving was coordinated by Christine Baeumler, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota. Miguel Otarola, Star Tribune The polished wooden memorial for Philando Castile has a quote from Nelson Mandela carved into it.
The demonstrators, including some of Castile’s family members, said they held the event to focus on the fragile, often fraught relationship between minority citizens and police departments locally and nationwide. They said they’re urging the city of Falcon Heights to erect a permanent memorial at the site.
Castile was pulled over and fatally shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeromino Yanez last July 6. A video of the aftermath of the shooting taken by Castile’s girlfriend quickly went viral and sparked nationwide protests over Castile’s death, as well as those of other black men at the hands of police officers.
Yanez has been charged with manslaughter and other counts.
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