DeKALB | Chalk outlines of African-Americans who have been killed by police officers were drawn throughout campus Thursday to raise awareness of what some believe is police brutality.

On Tuesday, Keith Lamont Scott, 43, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was fatally shot by a police officer, igniting a mass protest in Charlotte, according to a Friday CNN article.

“No dead person can speak for themselves,” said Traci Jennings, Black Student Union president. “People do illegal things all the time and are able to see trial… I think that’s what the issue is; sometimes people get caught up in the details of the matter, but the issue is that whether you do something illegal or not, you should stand to see trial.”

Members of the Black Student Union took to the sidewalks of NIU in their own protest as an attempt to make students aware of the people who helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained momentum after the shooting death by neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman of Trayvon Martin, 17, of Miami Gardens, Florida, on Feb. 26, 2012.

“[Black Student Union] thanks you all for the support of #ProjectOutline,” the Black Student Union wrote in a tweet Sept. 22.

The outlines were drawn mostly near the Holmes Student Center and the bus turnaround and featured messages of #BlackLivesMatter and #ProjectOutline.

“It is hard for us black men to do things we want,” said Travis Bonaparte, junior corporate business communication major and fashion merchandising minor. “It is almost a sense of harassment and has, unfortunately, become part of our daily lives.”

While some students appreciated the project, others used chalk to write comments in opposition of the project next to the outlines.

“Student Association recognized organizations in good standing and University Departments are allowed to chalk on concrete sidewalks only, using washable non-toxic chalk,” according to the Student Involvement and Leadership Development chalk policy.

Next to the outlined body of Michael Brown, 18, of Ferguson, Missouri, computer science major Andy wrote “Mike Brown grabbed an officer’s gun, robbed a convenient store and stole a box of cigars. Cops: 1. Thugs: 0.” Andy declined to disclose his last name or year in school. One student, who did not want to disclose identification, disgusted with Andy’s comment, spat on it.

“We, the [Black Student Union], respect any differing opinions,” Jennings said. “But it was a bit disturbing to realize how students are interpreting these social issues.”

Brown was an unarmed, black teenager who was fatally shot by Officer Darren Wilson, according to a Aug. 10, 2015, New York Times article. Wilson was responding to reports of a convenience store theft. Surveillance footage shows Brown stealing Cigarillos from a Ferguson liquor store. After leaving the liquor store, Wilson stops Brown, as he fit the description of the theft suspect. After an altercation between the two, Brown ran toward Wilson, who responded by firing his gun. Documentation does not state that Brown grabbed Wilson’s gun, according to the article.

“It is sad that these people died,” Andy said. “It is just that some people are not informed about what actually happened [in Ferguson].”

Correction:

The Northern Star mistakenly reported that George Zimmerman was a white police officer; however, Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Clarification:

The Northern Star would like to clarify that Officer Darren Wilson was not responding to reports of a convenience store theft, rather he became aware of a convenience store theft and believed Michael Brown matched a description given over the radio, according to a March 4, 2015, Department of Justice report.