From a contentious town hall-style meeting in Dallas to a march on the island of St. Lucia, activists turned out in full force to honor the memory of Botham Jean and to demand justice for him on Saturday, which would have been his 27th birthday.
Jean’s life was cut short on Sept. 6 when an off-duty Dallas cop shot and killed the St. Lucia native, claiming that she mistook his apartment for her own.
SEE ALSO: Botham Jean Would Have Been 27 Years Old Today, See His Life In Photos
About 200 activists attended a forum at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Dallas for what was designed as a call to action, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The meeting began with Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, phoning in from St. Lucia pleasantly thanking supporters for attending the forum and reaffirming her unwavering commitment to obtain justice for her son.
But the activists soon became angry when the panelists, including Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson, began taking questions from the audience. It reached a boiling point when the activists demanded to know why Johnson failed to charge ex-officer Amber Guyger with murder instead of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Meanwhile, on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Jean’s family and scores of supporters held a thanksgiving birthday march in his memory, according to the St. Lucia Times. The Justice for Botham Support Group organized the event, which included songs of praise and speeches.
Back in Dallas, supporters joined their voices in singing the worship hymn “Let it Rise” at exactly 10 a.m. on Saturday. It was the last song Jean sang at his church.
On Friday, the Justice For Botham Jean movement rallied at a petition delivery protest outside Johnson’s Dallas office. They gathered 170,000 signatures to demand that the prosecutor upgrade manslaughter charges against Guyger. They fear that the district attorney will go lightly on her.
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Activists demanding justice for Botham Jean refused to let leaders off the hook at a Dallas panel on Saturday.
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) September 29, 2018
More: https://t.co/oNf8lWCcsn pic.twitter.com/n3AR2qD9CF
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Listen: Allison Jean calling in from St. Lucia: “I really thank you for continuing to stand with me. All I ask is that we recognize that the Lord is the one that takes vengeance. Whatever we do in seeking justice, we have to do it peacefully.” @CBSDFW #BothamJean pic.twitter.com/xfpv8DFybK
— Yona Gavino (@YonaGavinoTV) September 29, 2018
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#BothamJean’s girlfriend joins protest demanding murder charges for Amber Guyger https://t.co/WSNDbwim05
— Jordan (@JordanChariton) September 29, 2018
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Pastor prays over chanting protesters at Botham Jean birthday event #readlocal https://t.co/vy4S3wFvtV
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram (@startelegram) September 29, 2018
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170,000 signature petition delivery rn calling for a murder charge against Officer Guyger#BothamJean pic.twitter.com/LGdyWBpsj7
— champagne socialist 🥂🌹 (@seizethewhiskey) September 28, 2018
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#BothamJean’s birthday...
— mademoiselle nobs (@patriciaturner) September 29, 2018
Frank Crowley Courts Building, Dallas https://t.co/1xVXsov2bD
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Despite rainy weather in Dallas, dozens of Christians have gathered on the county courthouse steps on what would have been Botham Jean’s 27th birthday. They plan to praise God and peacefully call for justice in Jean’s shooting death. #BothamShemJean #Justice4Botham pic.twitter.com/WvhchfbUVf
— Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) September 29, 2018
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Saturday would have been #BothamJean's 27th birthday. To mark Jean's birthday, a town hall was held at St. Paul United Methodist Church in #Dallas where community members had the chance to bring up their questions and concerns about his case and others. https://t.co/V4wRGixoBG
— Francisco Taveira (@jftaveira1993) September 30, 2018
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Watch what happened at 18:55 in @rolandsmartin's broadcast: 9.29.18 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: #JusticeforBothamJean … https://t.co/vNWGoWKwFy
— Barbara Green (@evanbgreen) September 30, 2018
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Cries for justice on Botham Jean's birthday https://t.co/2uGyYIKQyW pic.twitter.com/iQhgLO9DY6
— WFAA (@wfaa) September 30, 2018
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Getting underway. Town Hall Conversation, #CallForAction on what would’ve been Botham Jean’s 27th birthday. #Dallas pic.twitter.com/lWHbkJnbvY
— Dionne Anglin (@DAnglinFox4) September 29, 2018
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Prayer vs. Protest. To quote @JerryLEADS... "What a juxtaposition." ✊🏼🙏🏼 #BothamJean #JusticeforBothamJean #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/xIUXjT7OZu
— Stephanie Drenka (@stephaniedrenka) September 29, 2018