Each carried a mattress. They walked slowly down North Campus Street, their zombielike speed perhaps a way to make a point or perhaps it was just difficult to carry their load. They didn’t make a sound. Each mattress carrier had a piece of duct tape over his or her mouth. Heide Herrmann marched in the front, carrying a posterboard sign that said, WE WILL CARRY THIS WEIGHT UNTIL TOWER U PROTECTS RAPE VICTIMS. The news cameras rolled, their lenses capturing the made-for-TV images. The mattress carriers walked past the podium where Emily’s parents were assembled to give their speech. A crowd stood around the parents, holding candles for the vigil. The mattress carriers silently nodded as they paraded past. Mr. Shapiro stared at the protesters, then looked down at his feet. The mattress carriers were both supporting his daughter and protesting his university’s policies. After his head injury two nights ago, he was probably having trouble standing, much less balancing his complicated work and personal lives.
