'I think of generations past:' Protesters march for an 11th day in Milwaukee

Protesters march for an 11th day in Milwaukee

Indalecio de Jesus Valentin

MILWAUKEE -- Eleven days after taking to Milwaukee's streets, one group of protesters tells us they aren't growing weary, instead, Indalecio de Jesus Valentin says he is energized.

"My blisters don't matter at this point, Valentin said. "What keeps us going is personally in my heart, whenever I feel pain in my feet, pain in my legs, I just think of generations past. Nothing hurts more than what my ancestors went through."

Milwaukee protest on Monday, June 8, 2020

Valentin, on Monday, spoke to protesters about some of the changes he is pursing.

"We demand that officers working in the inner city, be from the inner city," he said.

Kourtney Lorenzen

From Cathedral Square Park, the group marched on.

"We really just wanted to come because we feel this is a really important movement that's going on," said Kourtney Lorenzen, a marcher in Monday's protest.

The movement was joined by Milwaukee public defender Robert Hampton.

"We are speaking out against the systematic change that needs to take place here in Milwaukee," Hampton said.

Robert Hampton

Hampton said some of his colleagues also walked over from the Milwaukee County courthouse.

"We can break off into our own groups and discuss how our group can see that change move forward but then we come together for a broader purpose, a broader goal and that's what we're here doing now," he said.

As they marched on, they said they hope their message is seen -- and heard.

Milwaukee protest on Monday, June 8, 2020

"Slowly we can expand from one individual and we can touch others around us and make it this bigger group that wants to help too," said Lorenzen.

Organizers of the group also said they'd like the opportunity to present incidents of police brutality to the Milwaukee Common Council in a public forum.