Tallahassee, Florida – A vigil was held May 27 at the Leon Arms Apartments for Tony McDade, who was shot five times by the Tallahassee police. Officers claimed McDade was armed but haven’t provided any video evidence or even the name of the killer. The Tallahassee Community Action Committee called for a protest and vigil.
Milwaukee, WI – Several marches were held in Milwaukee on May 29 to demand justice for George Floyd, an African American man who was murdered by Minneapolis police. Protesters were also demanding justice for Joel Acevedo, a Chicano murdered by an off-duty Milwaukee police officer.
San José, CA – San Jose police backed up by county sheriffs attacked protesters as they tried to rally at City Hall on Friday, May 29. 1000 people, mainly young, had gathered to protest the killing of George Floyd and other African Americans by police. They took to the streets and blocked a freeway with signs reading “Black lives matter” and speakers condemning President Trump. But when the protest tried to march to the City Hall plaza, which is a traditional site for political rallies, they were blocked by a line of police who unleashed tear gas. When protesters resisted, the police used flashbang grenades, rubber bullets and batons to try to break up the demonstration.
The people of Minneapolis have taken to the streets the past 72 hours, demanding the arrest of the killer cops who murdered 46-year-old African American George Floyd on Monday night, May 25. Eyewitness video was released Tuesday morning showing now former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin pinning Floyd to the ground, with Chauvin’s knee directly on the back of his neck – the video shows Floyd’s last gasps for air. You can hear him telling the killer cop that he can’t breathe and calling for his mother before you see his body going limp. Three other cops on the scene stand by, with two other cops actively helping to restrain Floyd on the ground, all ignoring the pleas of bystanders to let him breathe. Since then, tens of thousands in Minneapolis and have taken to the streets, demanding justice and retribution, which prompted the Minneapolis police to immediately terminate the four officers involved with Floyd’s murder and finally to charge and jail Chauvin May 29.
The brutal police killing of George Floyd has sparked a powerful uprising that will settle for nothing less than justice. It is a case of murder. George Floyd, an African American man, was killed in broad daylight in front of witnesses who videotaped the crime. The crime was carried out by Officer Derek Chauvin and three accomplices from the Minneapolis Police Department. And everyone knows that the Minneapolis Police Department has a history of killing Black people for being Black.
Los Angeles, CA – More than 1000 people marched here, May 27, to demand justice for George Floyd, an African American man who was murdered by Minneapolis police. Protesters were also demanding justice for two others who were murdered by LAPD within the last 48 hours. The action was organized by Black Lives Matter-LA and assembled at the Hall of Justice in downtown. Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey has refused to prosecute police killings, and her office is located at the Hall of Justice.
Milwaukee, WI – The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis not only sparked a 20,000-person protest, but appears to have given rise to a broader uprising the likes of which haven’t been seen since the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014, Freddie Gray in Baltimore in 2015, and, albeit to a lesser extent, the killing of Sylville Smith in Milwaukee in 2016.
Los Angeles, CA – On Saturday, May 30 at 3 p.m. Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) will be participating in the National Day of Protest to demand the mass release of all prisoners due to COVID-19. The action is called by the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression and CSO is an affiliated organization with the Alliance. We are protesting the murders of Ahmaud Aubery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and George Floyd in Minneapolis because they are outraging, and we must demand justice. This lynch-style, racist terrorism must stop and perpetrators must be punished.
Salt Lake City, UT – The people of Salt Lake City plan to answer the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) call for a national day of protest May 30, demanding justice for George Floyd, Bernardo Palacios and all the people murdered by cops in the U.S.
Milwaukee, WI – On May 7, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers declared a COVID-19 testing plan that would focus on reaching all Blacks, Latinos and indigenous people in Wisconsin. The sites would be administered by and staffed by members of the Wisconsin National Guard. The significance of these sites was that individuals would be able to receive testing regardless of symptoms, healthcare or appointment.
Chicago, IL – Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy (IJLA) is a small two-floor building that rests on the corner of Western and Blue Island Avenues in Pilsen, Chicago. At first glance you would notice the mural that decorates the wall – women of color with fists in the air, “La Lucha Sigue.” You might ask yourself, “Is this a school?” and the first answer is: yes. Though, the more accurate answer is: “It’s a home, a safe haven.”
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Alliance requested a meeting with Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot regarding the proposal for an all-elected, all-Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) on March 11 on behalf of the 68 community organizations and leaders who support the proposed legislation. They have renewed that request, and demand to know why, as of May 24, she has not acknowledged their request for a meeting.
Brunswick, GA – Around 1000 people took to the streets of Brunswick, Georgia, May 16, to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery, the young African American man murdered in late February by the racist vigilantes Gregory and Travis McMichael. Organized by a coalition of many organizations, protesters also demanded the resignation of State Attorneys Jackie Johnson and George Barnhill, both prosecutors who originally declined to press charges against the McMichaels for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
Milwaukee, WI – Ryan Hamann, a Wisconsin Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) leader stated, “The Wisconsin Supreme Court – meeting virtually, I might add – voted 4-3 to strike down the 'safer-at-home' order. While this is disappointing, it is not a surprise. The judicial system, much like the government, is intricately tied to the wealthy business owners and their anti-people agenda. What it proves is that the ruling class in this state is willing to sacrifice the lives of the working class just to maintain a higher rate of profit.”
Jacksonville, FL – A crowd of more than 200 people, practicing social distancing and mostly wearing face masks, gathered in front of the Duval County courthouse, May 8, in response to the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery in nearby Brunswick, Georgia. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), Northside Coalition, and the New Florida Majority put the demonstration of solidarity together; UNF Students for A Democratic Society (SDS) was represented as well. Even community members from Brunswick, where Arbery was killed, drove down to attend the demonstration.
St. Paul, MN – Saturday, May 9, on the fourth anniversary of Jaffort Smith’s death at the hands of police, community members joined his family for a socially-distanced caravan protest and balloon release to honor Smith’s life. They met in Cayuga Park, where speakers Monique Cullars Doty and mother Matilda Smith addressed the crowd. Balloons were released, and Minister Toya Woodland led the group in prayer. They then set out in cars, passing the nearby site where police officers Michael Tschida and Mark Grundhauser murdered Smith with at least 49 shots. The group proceeded to the Saint Paul Police Department Eastern District station, where they lined the block, posted signs on the building and chanted.
“Trayvon Martin, Emmett Till. How many Black lives will you kill?” This was one of many chants heard across downtown Tampa on Saturday, May 9, as protesters gathered to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery. The South Georgia resident was murdered by two white supremacist vigilantes, father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael, while he out for a jog.
Appleton, WI – There’s a fear in polite American culture to engage in conflict. Strong words are discouraged, anger is derided, and extremism is posed as the singular problem; this unites all the various gasbags who turn our culture into such a toxic environment, where concepts like truth and justice have little hope to survive.
Chicago, IL – Close to 400,000 students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are in their seventh week of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this haze of attempting to teach the children of Chicago one thing is becoming crystal clear: disparity. According to NBC Chicago 52% of coronavirus deaths are of African American people and 25% are Latinos. Working-class African American and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West Sides are being hit much harder than predominantly white neighborhoods downtown and on the North Side.