Miami Beach solidarity safe skate for assault victims – NBC 6 South Florida
The skate community is rallying together after a woman on rollerblades was sexually assaulted last week in Miami Beach. They’re also standing in solidarity with other victims and pushing for change.
Miami Beach Police say Keith Hill sexually assaulted a woman while she was rollerblading on the beach walk at 23rd Street last Tuesday.
Police shared surveillance pictures hoping someone could recognize who he was. A few days later, Hollywood Police said their officers found him in Hollywood. Investigators said Hill is a wanted sex offender in Chicago.
On Saturday, the skate community took back the boardwalk with a solidarity safe skate. Dozens of people skated up and down the beach walk to support the woman and other victims of sexual assault.
“We have every right to be angry, but our responses need to be utilized instead of pacified,” Vik Pagan said. “We shouldn’t have to be up in arms and looking for pepper spray or batons or tasers because all of a sudden our autonomy is being breached because we don’t have a space or the few spaces that we have left, it’s going to be robbed from us in the middle of the night.”
“We might not know her, we don’t know if we know her, but by sharing this hobby and space and commonality — she’s one of us,” Amanda said. “To see someone have that joy robbed of them was shaky for the whole community.”
Some of the skaters say they would like to see changes in the area moving forward.
“Even just one extra light can make all the difference,” Paula Perez said.
Paula Perez said she’s skated in the area before and she’s also a victim of sexual assault.
“I know how it feels to feel alone and not to have a community and I just went to my community and said this is okay and I hope everyone feels the same and they did,” Perez said. “You should be able to use it at any time that you want, however you want and be safe here.”
Hill was also booked on charges of failing to register as a sex offender, of which he was convicted in Illinois, and providing false ID to law enforcement.
