East Los Angeles, CA – On March 23, 50 people gathered at the East LA Sheriff Station to demand justice for David Ordaz Jr. and commemorate his three-year angelversary. On March 14, 2021, Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies killed Ordaz outside his family home after his family called 911 to request support for him while he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

One deputy, Remin Pineda, is facing two charges related to the killing – assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault under color of authority. The three other deputies involved – Edwin Navarette, Jaime Moreno and Nathaniel Trujillo – were cleared and continue to patrol East LA.

Organized by the Ordaz family with the support of Centro CSO, the event united community supporters and impacted families who came out in the rain to remember Ordaz Jr. and demand sheriff accountability.

“We want to be able to decide what happens to killer cops,” said Sol Marquez of Centro CSO, who helped facilitate the event. “That is why we demand community control.”

The surviving families of Adrian Rios, Anthony Vargas and Frederick Holder – all victims of LASD – as well as those of Cesar Rodriguez and Alex Flores shared their condolences and solidarity with the Ordaz family. The speakers denounced the sheriff's department for murdering people with impunity and being the home to deputy gangs that terrorize Black and Chicano communities.

Stephanie Luna, the aunt of Anthony Daniel Vargas, who was killed by Banditos from the East LA station in 2018, explained, “Sheriff’s deputies go to your home and harass you. They go after families who speak out. Where do you go when cops are after you? We’ve been fighting for six years. This is a fight we are going to be in for the rest of our life.”

After speeches from impacted families, the crowd broke through a layer of caution tape and walked closer to the Sheriff’s Station where three squad cars and multiple Sheriff Deputies were blocking the entrance. The Sheriffs announced an unlawful assembly and threatened arrests with children present.

Chants of “Who killed David? LASD!” and “What does killer cops mean? We got to fight back!” rang loud around the park through the rain.

Speakers pointed out how LASD’s heavy response to a peaceful protest demonstrated the department’s priorities and its waste of public resources. Since their loved one’s death, the Ordaz family has continuously called attention to the need to better fund mental health support rather than law enforcement.

In October 2023, Deputy Pineda was set to accept a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time for his killing of Ordaz Jr. After hearing the passionate explanations from the Ordaz family about the impact of Ordaz Jr.’s murder, Judge Michael Pastor rejected the deal as being too lenient. In the coming months, Deputy Pineda will return to court with the possibility of being sentenced to jail.

#LosAngelesCA #EastLA #JusticeForDavidOrdazJr #JailKillerCops #LASD #CentroCSO

Seattle, WA – On March 16, a crowd of around 40 activists, organizers and community members marched around the King County prosecutor’s office. In February, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion’s office declined to file charges against Seattle police officer Kevin Dave, who over a year ago struck and killed a student at a crosswalk with his car.

Kevin Dave, an officer previously fired from the Tucson Police Department, was responding to a non-fatal overdose call on January 23, 2023 when he killed 23-year-old Northeastern grad student Jaahnavi Kandula. Dave was going 74 miles per hour—nearly three times the speed limit of 25—without his siren on when he sped through the crosswalk, colliding with Kandula, who was crossing at the time. Body cam footage was later released showing Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, making jokes about the incident and saying to SPOG President Mike Solan that Kandula’s life had “limited value”. After over a year of silence from the city, Prosecuting Attorney Manion declared “insufficient evidence” to file charges.

The protest, organized by the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR), rallied in a neighboring park, featured speakers from the Seattle Alliance, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the University of Washington’s Progressive Student Union, For the People 206, and the International League of People’s Struggles. On all sides of the building and on the steps rang out chants of “Convict Kevin Dave,” “Jail killer cops!” and “Community control now!”

Rob Engel of SAARPR said, “This isn't over. Freedom is a constant struggle! If this is really over and we can't do anything about it, then I guess I'm stupid because I'm not gonna give up and we're not gonna give up because we have no choice but to fight.”

The speaker from Progressive Student Union, Mathieu Chabaud, said “The state wants us to think that we are going to be defeated by them, and they want us to be scared. If we shrink back, if we back down from our demand, then we are letting them win.”

A member of For the People 206 said “We have to make these numbers show up, and that means having these conversations, just as we talk about Palestine, and everything else. It’s not when it is trending, it’s not when it’s trending, It’s every day!”

Nikhil Lonberg, a member of Resist U.S. Led War, spoke about the surveillance systems being used to repress our communities, and the need for us to prepare for future fights, stating, “So we know we have to expand, right? We need to be organizing every day. We have to be organizing relentlessly, talking to our communities, talking to our neighbors, building strong organizations that are tackling these issues and waging fighting campaigns.”

Although charges were not filed against Dave, he is slated to face a disciplinary hearing sometime in April. Activists with the Seattle Alliance intend to continue pressuring the city to take action against him. Their demands include firing at the bare minimum, and a reopening of the case.

#SeattleWA #SAARPR #JusticeforJaahnavi #ConvictKevinDave #JailKillerCops #CommunityControlNow #PoliceBrutality #Feature

Tacoma, WA – Chants of “Jail killer cops,” “Black lives matter” and “Justice for Manny” rang through the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, as over 100 people gathered to protest, grieve and march against the wrongful acquittal of three Tacoma police officers for the murder of Manny Ellis. Among those gathered were Ellis’s sister, mother, extended family, friends and other families of people murdered by the police.

Manuel “Manny” Ellis was murdered by Matthew Collins, Christopher Burbank and Timothy Rankine on March 3, 2020. Several videos and eyewitnesses prove that Ellis did not provoke the police, yet they tasered, choked, hogtied and kneeled on him. While Ellis was suffering this completely unwarranted attack, he pleaded for his life, saying “I can’t breathe, sir.” The murderous cops placed a spit hood over Ellis’s head, and continued to kneel on him until he became unresponsive. He died at the scene.

Yet, on December 21, judge Bryan Chushcoff delivered the verdict of “not guilty” on all charges.

One protester at the rally, Aife Pasquale, described the sham trial saying, “The behavior of the gallery was extremely inappropriate and made everything harder on the family.” They were referring to the many police officers and supporters who reserved excessive numbers of seats to harass and intimidate the Ellis family during the trial. “Only cops would see slaughtering people in the streets as a means of protecting our illusion of freedom.”

Immediately the verdict at 3:30, angry family and community members gathered beneath the large, colorful mural of Manny Ellis in the Black neighborhood of Hilltop. The mural, in large black and blue letters reads “Justice for Manny.” From there, they took to the street to block the nearby intersection while Ellis’s family led chants and gave speeches. More and more people joined the crowd.

As the sun set, people moved back to the mural to grieve and hold a vigil. Hundreds of candles, yellow roses, and photos of others who have been murdered by police were placed under the mural. Community members, often also dressed in yellow, took turns speaking on how they and their family have been harmed by the racist, violent police system. Ellis was wearing a yellow hoodie the night he was killed.

Grief turned again to rage, and the crowd marched through the streets to the nearest Tacoma police precinct, chanting “TPD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same” and “No good cops in a racist system.” These chants highlight how Ellis’s murder is part of a much bigger, global system of violence and oppression. They then held a six-minute moment of silence to represent the six minutes police officers kneeled on Ellis that resulted in his death.

Michael Olagunju, a local community member, described how Ellis’s murder and police violence impacts his family. “My mother is in her 70s, and when she sees a police officer get behind her, she will take any route she can to get them out from behind her. That just gives you a small indication of the type of fear that us, as Black people, feel towards the police.” Olagunju also described how he was a father to two children, a brother, and a son, much like Ellis who was also a father to two children, a brother, and a son.

The crowd marched back from the precinct to the “Justice for Manny” mural where people continued to share, grieve and plan for future events. At around 8:30 p.m. the crowd began to disperse, and Olagunju echoed the sentiments of many at the rally: “The police are the biggest gang in America.”

#TacomaWA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #BlackLivesMatter #JailKillerCops #Feature

Jacksonville FL- On January 29, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee alongside 80 energized community members rallied to demand accountability and justice. Cities around the nation are organizing in response to not only the release of horrific bodycam footage capturing the slaying of Tyre Nichols, but local struggles as well.

Across the country police brutality persists, but the masses continue to hit the streets to stand up against the violence. The bodycam footage depicting the brutal killing of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop raises important concerns regarding police accountability and institutional racism. Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were all fired and later arrested on murder and other charges.

However, police violence continues to escalate the further militarization of police departments as a pushback to demands of accountability. In Atlanta “Cop City,” a nickname given to a proposed law enforcement training center, will become a national hub for police to continue to learn repressive tactics.

Jacksonville has already endured two deaths this year related to officer-involved shootings. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee and other community organizations such as the UNF Students for a Democratic Society, Northside Coalition, and Black Power Rising, spoke out on Sunday, calling for accountability, justice and public safety.

“We should be able to investigate when one of our community members is killed,” Michael Sampson explains the Public Safety Oversight Committee, a planned ballot initiative to put power back in the peoples’ hands and serve as a launch point towards community control. There are already 18 cities in Florida with some form of civilian review.

Shirley McDaniels, mother of Vernell “Lil Red” Bing Jr. who was killed by a JSO officer, said “We need this in our community. At some point in time we gotta gain justice,” in regards to forming the committee.

Chants of “Enough is enough” echoed through the crowd.

“We have to demand better from our city. We should not have to fear the people who protect and serve us,” said Brian Jefferson II, member of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.

Christina Kittle stated, “This is just the first step.” The Public Safety Oversight Committee is not the complete solution, but it is the first step to putting power back in the hands of the people.

You can stay up-to-date on local actions in Jacksonville by following @Jaxtakesaction on social media or visiting jaxtakesaction.org.

#JacksonvilleFL #PoliceBrutality #StopPoliceCrimes #jailKillerCops #TyreNichols

Denver, CO – A small but strong crowd gathered in the freezing snow on January 29 to protest the brutal murder of Tyre Nichols by Memphis, Tennessee police. Activists and community members at the Colorado State Capitol building chanted “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace!” as snow fell steadily throughout the early afternoon and wind chill felt well below zero. This did not deter folks from standing in solidarity with the people of Memphis, the family of Tyre Nichols, and other victims of police brutality.

“We still have a fire burning within us,” remarked Jonce Palmer, chair of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee.

Tyre Nichols, 29, was beaten and tased by five Memphis officers on January 7, after a traffic stop and died of his wounds. Bodycam and HALO footage released on January 27 shows the young Black man being bashed so severely he was unable to speak. The footage sparked outrage across the country and protests and calls for police accountability across the United States.

Protest organizers recalled police murders that occurred around the country in January 2023 alone, including that of Keenan Anderson in Los Angeles and Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Teran outside Atlanta. Jonce Palmer of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) said to the crowd, “Law enforcement killed at least 1176 people, or about 100 people a month, last year, making 2022 the deadliest year for police violence on record. 2023 is well on its way to breaking that bloody record.”

DACAC was joined by other groups dedicated to combating racist discrimination, including Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Denver Justice Project.

Alexander Landau, co-founder of the Denver Justice Project, related his experience with racist police brutality, sharing that, when he watched the footage of Tyre Nichols, he couldn’t help but think back to his experience being pulled over and beaten by Denver police officers in 2009: “At the end of the day, my life matters, your life matters and Tyre’s life matters. The memory of this young man will not be in vain!” Landau declared.

Violence against Black people in Denver has not stopped. On July 17, three Denver officers fired their weapons into a crowd of people in an attempt to kill Jordan Waddy, a 21-year-old Black man, who held his hands in the air after throwing away his weapon. Waddy and six other people were injured in the mass shooting. One officer, Brandon Ramos, has been indicted by a grand jury, while two officers remain without charges.

Jordan Waddy remains on the hook for this mass shooting by the district attorney despite being the survivor of a police crime. Denver DA Beth McCann indicted him on charges that could put him in prison for up to ten years.

The Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee has launched a petition containing demands for police accountability in Denver, accessible at tinyurl.com/freewaddy. DACAC will continue the fight for community control of the police by uniting Denver and Aurora to fight against police crime.

#DenverCO #PoliceBrutality #StopPoliceCrimes #jailKillerCops

Seattle, WA – Protesters and community members rallied at Dexter Avenue N and Thomas Street in the late afternoon of January 29 to call for justice for Tyre Nichols, Jaahnavi Kandula and all victims of police violence.

Eighty people gathered at the rally organized by the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and held at the intersection where Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police vehicle.

“We hate that we have to be out here again and again, but we still don’t have justice for those killed by police terror,” said Clio Jensen, an organizer with SAARPR.

On January 23 a Seattle police officer hit 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula at high speed while responding to a suspected overdose with paramedics already on site. SPD has refused to release the name of the officer, fire the officer, or provide any clarity up to this point.

Seattle PD has engaged in cover-ups and denials of justice before. At the rally, Castill Hightower shared the story of her brother Herbert’s murder by the Seattle Police Department in 2004 and her family’s continued fight for justice and change. “Stop killing us! Stop harming us! Stop refusing to hold these officers accountable,” said Hightower, speaking to the crowd of protesters.

 SAARPR members read a statement from Rose Johnson, mother of Ryan Matthew Smith, who was shot and killed by SPD in 2019. “I tried tirelessly to get justice for Ryan. With no success. I hope Jaahnavi’s parents and family get justice for her. A beautiful precious soul taken from them in such a senseless manner.” Smith’s killer continues to work for SPD, and the city has stymied all efforts for accountability and transparency.

“Justice for Tyre!” chanted protesters, calling for justice for Tyre Nichols who was beaten to death by five Memphis, Tennessee police officers on January 7. The horrific video of Tyre’s killing was made public on January 27, sparking protests across the country.

On January 18, Manny “Tortuguita” Paez was killed by Georgia State Troopers while protesting against the construction of “Cop City,” a proposed police headquarters to be built in Atlanta Forest. “Say his name! Tortuguita!” chanted the crowd.

Other community members came to share their stories of police abuse. “I was strangled by the police,” said Victoria Pacho, sharing her experiences as a survivor of police violence. “They put their full weight on my neck. There’s so much pain, and you cannot scream. And the city does nothing to support victims.”

“The end goal is abolition. We just need a tool to get us there,” says Mantak Singh from the Progressive Student Union at the University of Washington. “Community control of the police, through a civilian police accountability council, is the best way to achieve that.”

Throughout the evening, protesters demanded the release of footage related to Jaahnavi’s killing, the identification and firing of the driving officer, safer streets for all pedestrians, justice for Tyre Nichols, justice for Manny “Tortuguita” Paez, justice for all victims of police violence, and community control of the Seattle Police Department. “Enough is enough, we need to take back control for the people,” said Mantak Singh.

#SeattleWA #PoliceBrutality #policeTerror #StopPoliceCrimes #jailKillerCops

Memphis, TN. – On January 10, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols died in the hospital after sustaining injuries from five Memphis police officers. Nichols was found to have died due to extensive bleeding. Nichols was reportedly pepper sprayed, tazed and then beaten after being restrained. The family's attorney, Antonio Romanucci, made comments to the press emphasizing the extreme brutality of the murder.

There have already been protests in Memphis held by friends and family of Tyre Nichols, where they shouted the common phrase, “Say no more. Release the video!” demanding footage of the murder of Nichols.

In news interviews, Tyre Nichols’ cousin, Jamicka Hill, has compared the extent of Nichol's injuries to those of Emmet Till. The video footage was so violent that many in his family were not able to finish watching it.

Authorities were unclear about when the video showing the execution of Tyre Nichols would be released [it is to be released January 27]. The Memphis police have prepared for massive protests.

The five officers who were responsible for the death of Nichols were fired on Friday, January 20, and were arrested on charges of 2nd-degree murder on January 26th. The responsible officer's names are Tadarrius Bean, Demetruius Haley, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith.

Capitalist news outlets have focused on the fact that the offending officers are African American, claiming that this means the murder was not an example of racist discrimination. This is an argument that misses the forest for the trees. African Americans in the United States are an oppressed nationality, who are oppressed as a group both economically and with state violence at the hands of the police. Unarmed Black people are murdered by police with regularity. Regardless of the race of particular officers, the function of the police as an institution is to protect private property and enforce the oppression of African Americans, as well as other oppressed nationalities.

Tyre Nichols' family and the broader community of Memphis have taken to the streets to demand justice. The George Floyd uprising of 2020 showed the power of nationwide, mass mobilization against racist police killings. The frantic efforts at cover-up and damage control on the part of the Memphis Police Department, as well as authorities preparations to subdue mass protests, show that the ruling class is afraid that Tyre Nichols' death has the potential to spark unrest.

#MemphisTN #PoliceBrutality #StopPoliceCrimes #jailKillerCops