"Diallo was not just a black person who was gunned down," said Orr, who is an Undergraduate Council member. "He was also a person, a person who did nothing wrong."

Besides numerous speeches, the vigil included several poetry readings and musical performances by groups including Kuumba Singers, who led the gathering in a rendition of James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Members of the Black Students Association and the Black Men's Forum circulated a petition calling for sensitivity training for police officers and urging the U.S. Department of Justice to try the four officers on civil charges.

Tabling in front of the Science Center and dining halls, they have already gathered over 1,500 signatures since the verdict.

Event organizer Eboni S. Cohen also announced that the BLSA will be holding a panel on April 15 to discuss the shooting, with defense attorney Johnnie Cochran participating.

Organizers are also encouraging students to wear blue ribbons as part of a national campaign protesting police brutality.

Speakers throughout the event emphasized the importance of organization at the national level to increase awareness of the Diallo case.

"We need to rally and unify every campus across the country," said Brooklyn preacher Dr. Gerald Seabrooks. "We need to send a message that we will not tolerate injustice."