By now, many of you have seen and heard the heart wrenching video of a child allegedly being abused, both physically and verbally, by his mother.
The 16-minute video posted and shared on Facebook, went viral last week. It has prompted anger directed at the mother and compassion for the toddler. It has also inspired a few people to take a stand.
The mother, Katrina Kennedy-Flores, 27, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse and faces two misdemeanor counts.
MORE | Mom arrested, toddler is in protective custody after video showing alleged abuse goes viral online
Harmony Johnson organized a rally and march on Sunday at the Colorado State Capitol Building. The event was a peaceful protest, seeking justice for the young victim.
“There’s a cause to fight and I can be that cause because I know what it's like," said Johnson who is a child abuse survivor herself. “Every state across America is failing children."
Johnson believes child abuse should be considered a felony. Currently in Colorado, it is a misdemeanor charge.
Lochbuie Police had the video for more than a week before making an arrest.
The woman who recorded the video said she had a friend report the abuse to police in late-April.
However, the woman told Denver7 that when she found out the boy was still with his mother, she decided to post the video to Facebook because she felt like police were not doing enough.
MORE | Child abuse video goes viral: How Facebook helped a child in jeopardy in Colorado
"Government officials need to be held accountable when ignoring cases that have been reported,” said Johnson. “That will only result in further child abuse.”
Although Sunday’s protest started a bit slow, it gained momentum throughout the hour. About two dozen people eventually showed up to participate.
“You don't treat a kid like that,” said one protester. “You don't treat a child like that. A child is innocent. And it's not ok."
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