Tallahassee, FL – On August 17, the Leon County Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed Historic Harms amendment to the county charter. From the pressure of about a dozen speakers and the presence of dozens more, the commission voted 5-2 to advance the amendment to the November ballot for all county citizens to vote on. Commissioners Brian Welch and Christian Caban voted against the amendment. 

The Historic Harms amendment, if passed, would require the county to periodically investigate past county policies and determine what kind of harms were caused to certain geographic areas due to those policies.

The state of Florida’s SB 1134, which would end funding opportunities for programs based on diversity, equity, and inclusion or any programs that even seemed that way, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis this past April. The original language of the Historic Harms amendment drew concerns from the Charter Review Committee and from the county attorney due to potentially coming into conflict with the new law. The amendment was rewritten to fit within these bounds – the new language looks purely at geographic neighborhoods regardless of the demographics of who was affected in those areas. This approach did get at least a tacit approval from the county attorney and did get voted through by the review committee.

Members of the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR), the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Capital Area Justice Ministry, the League of Women Voters, and Tallahassee ALERT, which wrote the amendment, spoke out in favor on Monday.

“I believe there are many communities in Tallahassee that have been left behind, and this amendment is the first step to really looking at the problems with the city and attempting to rectify them,” said Delilah Pierre with the Tallahassee Alliance.

Brandon Beckett with TIRA said, “I think we need to leave it in the people’s hands to address their futures,” adding, “This amendment is addressing community members that have been left behind through the development of Tallahassee.”

Beckett continued, “It’s their community as well. We need to make sure every member of this community feels respected and doesn't feel as if they’re left behind.”

The amendment will now appear on the ballot in the November elections. State Representative Angie Nixon won an upset victory for the Democratic nomination and will appear on the ballot. As well, there are three Tallahassee city commission seats in the runoff election. The Tallahassee Alliance will spread information about the amendment to educate the public and get people to vote in favor of it.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #InjusticeSystem #HistoricHarms #OppressedNationalities

Oak Lawn, IL – 50 people filled the chambers of the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Commission during its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, August 5. They demanded the firing of officers involved in incidents of racism and an independent investigation by the attorney general into the police department. 

Commissioner Jim Baker began the meeting by telling members of the public to “maintain order and respect.” He asked community members not to disrupt, referring to protests which have happened at every commission meeting since July 2022.

“You talk about respect and order, but where was the respect and order when your officers beat an Arab teenager nearly to death?” Nadiah Alyafai, organizer with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) stated in the public comments part of the meeting. She asked the commissioners about the beating of Hadi Abuatelah in 2022, which sparked monthly protests against the OLPDs racism.

“Where was the respect when you let a white woman get away with murdering Murod Kurdi?” Alyafai continued, referring to Leanne Cusack, who ran Murod Kurdi over after she had been drinking in 2023. Cusack's only consequence has been a $750 fine.

“Is that what the life of an Arab man is worth?” a 17-year-old AAAN member questioned the commissioners. 

Several AAAN youth members spoke on the racism of OLPD and how the commission refused to hold the police accountable. All of them called on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to investigate and clean out OLPD.

“It's not just Arabs. Black and brown people experience the corruption of the OLPD too,” one AAAN youth member said.

“Our community has always come in with peaceful intentions and we're treated like criminals,” another youth member said, pointing out the irony that Oak Lawn police have inflicted racist violence on people protesting their racist violence in past meetings.

Ten minutes later, Commission Chairman Jim Baker sicced the police on a 14-year-old Arab boy. 

“You forfeited your right to speak,” Baker said after the teenager called him a “fucking jackass” for his ongoing failure to pronounce Arab names.

Baker then motioned for police to remove the boy. Other community members, including the boy's mother, voiced their disapproval at this blatant violation of free speech. Police shoved the teenager, his mother, and other protesters out the meeting chambers and down the stairs. One officer held the boy in a chokehold and slammed him against a counter, and another twisted his mother's arm.

The 14-year-old sustained injuries to his neck, chest, arm and ankle and had to get treatment at a nearby hospital. 

Commissioners adjourned the meeting without hearing any further comments. Protesters banged on the outside windows while chanting “Justice for Murod Kurdi!” and “How do you spell racist? OLPD!”

“OLPD assaulted a minor, choked him, slammed him. His only crime was saying the f-word,” AAAN organizer Muhammad Sankari addressed protesters after the chants. “If we don't stand up, the injustice that happened to Hadi and Murod is gonna keep happening over and over again.”

“We need to show up stronger at the next meeting and even stronger at the one after that,” Sankari said, and encouraged protesters to bring friends to the next commission meeting on September 2.

AAAN organizers also urged people to sign and share the petition demanding Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul investigate OLPD: bit.ly/investigateOLPD.

#OakLawnIL #ChicagoIL #IL #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem #AAAN #ArabAmerican #Police