Chicago, IL – More than three years after the death of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, his killer, Jason Van Dyke, will be going on trial in the coming weeks or months. In preparation, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has issued the following statement announcing their plan to protest outside the court house on that day. The Alliance is asking for endorsers, for activists in the region to travel to Chicago that day, and for activists in cities further away to hold solidarity rallies.

Call for Justice for Laquan McDonald

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calls upon all its allies, friends and all the various strands of the peoples’ movements to stand up to demand justice for Laquan McDonald, who was brutally shot 16 times execution style by CPD officer Jason Van Dyke on the night of Oct. 20, 2014.

The eyes of people around the country are on Chicago. This is the first time in the city’s history that a white police officer has been indicted for first degree murder for killing an unarmed Black person. But from the beginning, starting with the cover-up of the video recording of the murder by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the entire system seems determined to not allow justice to prevail in this case. Without a movement, there is no guarantee of justice.

On the first day of the Van Dyke trial, the Chicago Alliance calls for a mass protest outside the courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue to begin at 8:00 a.m. We urge all organizations that want Justice for Laquan to endorse the call, and to join the Alliance in planning the rally.

In addition to mobilizing locally for the first day of the trial, we ask people in other cities in the Midwest to travel here to join the protest and attend the first day of trial.

We ask our supporters nationally to hold solidarity rallies in their cities on the starting date as well.

After the mass mobilization on the starting day of the trial, we also ask for continued solidarity from our allies throughout the trial.

The Alliance will help to coordinate housing for those that travel here for the start of the trial and need to stay overnight.

It is up to the people to make this the first time a white police officer has been indicted, tried and convicted for murdering a Black person. We must do this to end the cowardly, racist past practices where the police murder and brutalize us with impunity and bring about a new day of justice where police are held accountable for the crimes they commit against the people.

JUSTICE FOR LAQUAN! ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

If your organization wishes to be listed as an endorser, if you will be traveling to Chicago from another city, or holding a solidarity rally in your city, contact Frank Chapman or Jazmine Salas, co-chairs of the Stop Police Crimes committee of the Alliance at 312-939-2750.

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