New Orleans community marches against police brutality and prison torture
New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 24, a crowd of about 30 people rallied in front of the Hale Boggs Federal Building and marched against police brutality and prison torture.
The action included many family members impacted by police brutality and horrible prison conditions, along with community members supporting them. Shanta Scott, Sabrina Foster and Lakeba Griffith spoke on their families’ cases of police and prison cover-ups. As they recounted their struggles, attendees stood united against the oppressive, racist injustice system that has wrecked their lives and others’.
“My son was tortured. He was tased several times, they choked him. He could not breathe,” said Sabrina Foster, mother of Glenn Foster Junior. Glenn Jr. was slain by police in Pickens County, Alabama in December 2021 after a routine traffic violation. “Police give the media their narrative as the ‘truth.’ But we need to speak up and speak out, tell the truth. Those motherfuckers are always lying and they get their point across first.” Her determination inspired cheers and applause from the crowd.
“It’s a new era in New Orleans, Louisiana. We have to stop these people. We have to stop the [NOPD] because people are afraid to step up to them. The devil is on a rampage and it’s coming from the police officers, the city officials, the people who are supposed to be the servants of us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in November 2019 by Andrew Gant, the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who aided in a subsequent cover-up.
The family of Dwerinn Alexander also came to speak on the inhumane treatment of prisoners in the Louisiana correctional system. Their family member, Dwerinn, was murdered while under the watch of Raymond Laborde Correctional Facility (RLCF) located in Cottonport, Louisiana earlier this year. Lakeba Griffith, the cousin of Dwerrin, spoke of taking the fight to the courts, wardens, and operators of RLCF, who are attempting to shut his case away and not give the family a full explanation of what occurred during the night of his murder.
After rallying, the crowd marched to the New Orleans Police Department headquarters located within the DXC Technologies building on Poydras Street. The chants of “Victor Gant is a crooked cop! We want justice, lock him up!” sounded through the busy streets around Poydras and sent shockwaves through the nearby police precinct. The march concluded around 1 p.m.