Aurora, CO – On June 9, the bodycam footage documenting the police killing of Black youth Jor’Dell Richardson, 14, was released during a press conference given by Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Art Acevedo. The family and community organizers responded in kind with a press conference of their own, to counter the police narrative and march for accountability.
Dallas, TX – For nearly four months, Ali Danial Hemani, a 25-year-old Pakistani-American from Lewisville, Texas, has been held in jail without the possibility of bail, facing charges under an obscure, ambiguous and scarcely raised code buried within a gun control law passed in the 1960s. His arrest on February 10 of this year follows about three years of his family being the target of unfounded and Islamophobic surveillance at the hands of the FBI, allegedly in response to family and religious visits to Iran.
Atlanta, GA – More than 1000 protesters gathered on June 5 at the Atlanta City Hall for public comment before a crucial city council vote which would officially fund Cop City, the $90 million police training facility scheduled to be constructed on the south side of Atlanta. The protesters arrived throughout the day, some as early as 7 a.m., to sign up to speak to the Council. By 1 p.m., 357 people were signed up for public comment.
Chicago, IL – On Saturday, June 3, newly sworn-in Police District Councilors, community groups and survivors of police misconduct gathered at Gorham Methodist Church on Chicago's South Side for the inaugural People's Hearing on Police Crimes.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the family of Jor'Dell Richardson and the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee.
Milwaukee, WI – On Sunday, May 28, dozens of community members gathered at Lucille Berrien Park for the official unveiling of a new mural to commemorate Lucille. The mural came about through a collaborative effort between the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, True Skool Inc., and the Milwaukee Parks Foundation.
Seattle, WA – On Tuesday, May 30, around 15 community members came together in protest at the Federal Courthouse at a hearing on whether to lift the consent decree placed on the Seattle Police Department. The consent decree was placed in 2012 after an investigation found a pattern of officers using excessive force. It required policy changes and other measures in order to comply with federally mandated standards on policing.
Milwaukee, WI – On Wednesday, May 31, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a picket outside Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s house. The Milwaukee Alliance recently launched their Fair Share Campaign in order to fight back against the strings attached to Milwaukee’s shared revenue increase being proposed by state Republicans.
Three face outrageous money laundering and charity fraud charges
Atlanta, GA – On May 31, roughly 150 people gathered outside the DeKalb County Jail for a noise demonstration in support of three activists arrested that morning by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department. The three Georgian activists – Marlon Kautz, Savannah Patterson and Adele Maclean, who are associated with the Atlanta Solidarity Fund (ASF), were arrested for money laundering and charity fraud, according to a statement made by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on Twitter.