New York, NY – On Saturday, October 19, members of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) gathered in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood to speak out against increased policing in the city’s transit system. The action occurred just a month after the police shot three people at the nearby Sutter Avenue subway station, over a suspected fare evasion.

After condemning the shooting, speakers from NYAARPR went on to emphasize how violent and dangerous situations are inevitable, because of the constant over-policing, surveillance, and lack of real safety measures on the subway.

“We believe that everyone in our city has a right to safety on public transit,” said Shivani Ishwar, the chair of NYAARPR. “But we know that all the cops do is put us in danger. This is why we demand that for everyone’s safety, we need cops off the trains!”

The speakers’ other demands included redirecting funding from police to schools, housing and other community resources; ending the racist searches and surveillance of Black and brown New Yorkers; and implementing community control over the police.

The speakout was the first of a series occurring in areas of Brooklyn most affected by increased police presence in the transit system. The series will end with a rally on Saturday, November 9, to continue to put pressure on city officials and Mayor Eric Adams to enact meaningful changes that address the needs of the community, instead of responding to every problem with more cops.

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