The conviction of Derek Chauvin of second-degree intentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd is an historic victory. This victory is result of the bravery of the bystanders who filmed this murder, the worldwide uprising the bold and tireless fight for justice by our community.

However, the rarity of this victory is a reminder that the system of policing is fundamentally flawed. There is still no mechanism for holding law enforcement officers accountable when they brutalize or kill citizens. Since George Floyd was killed, others in Minnesota have lost their lives at the hands of the police yet few police officers face charges in these killings.

As we celebrate this historic victory, we are committed to continuing the fight for justice against the epidemic of police killings. Our coalition continues to demand:

● Convict all of Floyd’s co-killers of the highest possible charges and give them the longest possible sentences. In this recent victory, that should mean 15 years in prison for Chauvin.

● Justice for George Floyd and all stolen lives – convict all killer cops.

● MN legislature must pass the nine police reform bills and the people need community control of the police (CPAC).

● Drop the charges against the summer protesters, the November MN-646 and the recent Brooklyn Center arrestees.

● End “Operation Safety Net” and the city of Minneapolis “Street Navigators” program! The crimes committed against our people by these goon squads have gone too far. They must be stopped.

Our coalition took the streets the morning of March 8, as the trial began, and again on March 29, as opening arguments started, and April 19 after closing arguments. We will be back in August for the trials of the other killer cops.

Coalition of groups in solidarity with our demands and actions include: Anti-War Committee, Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality (BRAPB), Black Lives Matter MN, CAIR-MN, Climate Justice Committee, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Twin Cities, Good Trouble for Justice, Locks for Loved Ones, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Justice Coalition, MN Uprising Arrestee Support, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, NAACP – Mpls, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Native Lives Matter, On Site Public Media, Racial Justice Network, Student Movement Activists at South High (SMASH), Students for Democratic Society at UMN, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, Women Against Military Madness

#TwinCitiesMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #DerekChavin

The conviction of Derek Chauvin of [AND/OR second-degree unintentional murder/third-degree murder/second-degree manslaughter] in the death of George Floyd is an historic victory. This victory is result of the bravery of the bystanders who filmed this murder, the worldwide uprising the bold and tireless fight for justice by our community.

However, the rarity of this victory is a reminder that the system of policing is fundamentally flawed. There is still no mechanism for holding law enforcement officers accountable when they brutalize or kill citizens. Since George Floyd was killed, others in Minnesota have lost their lives at the hands of the police yet few police officers face charges in these killings.

As we celebrate this historic victory, we are committed to continuing the fight for justice against the epidemic of police killings. Our coalition continues to demand:

● Convict all of Floyd’s co-killers of the highest possible charges and give them the longest possible sentences. In this recent victory, that should mean 15 years in prison for Chauvin.

● Justice for George Floyd and all stolen lives – convict all killer cops.

● MN legislature must pass the nine police reform bills and the people need community control of the police (CPAC).

● Drop the charges against the summer protesters, the November MN-646 and the recent Brooklyn Center arrestees.

● End “Operation Safety Net” and the city of Minneapolis “Street Navigators” program! The crimes committed against our people by these goon squads have gone too far. They must be stopped.

Our coalition took the streets the morning of March 8, as the trial began, and again on March 29, as opening arguments started, and April 19 after closing arguments. We will be back in August for the trials of the other killer cops.

Coalition of groups in solidarity with our demands and actions include: Anti-War Committee, Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality (BRAPB), Black Lives Matter MN, CAIR-MN, Climate Justice Committee, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Twin Cities, Good Trouble for Justice, Locks for Loved Ones, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Justice Coalition, MN Uprising Arrestee Support, MN Workers United, MN Youth for Justice, NAACP – Mpls, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Native Lives Matter, On Site Public Media, Racial Justice Network, Student Movement Activists at South High (SMASH), Students for Democratic Society at UMN, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar, Women Against Military Madness

#TwinCitiesMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #DerekChavin

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution from AFSCME Local 3800.

This is another heartbreaking day in America. AFSCME 3800 stands in solidarity with the family, friends, and loved ones of George Floyd, with the Black community, and with everyone demanding police accountability and justice.

WHEREAS on May 25, 2020 a white Minneapolis police officer killed 46 year old George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for eight minutes while he pleaded to be allowed to breathe, and

WHEREAS three other police officers assisted in restraining George Floyd while he was being killed, or spewed anti-black and war-on-drugs rhetoric, or stood by and did nothing, and

WHEREAS the Black community repeatedly faces the deaths of loved ones at the hands of the police, and

WHEREAS the core principle of the labor movement – “An Injury to One is An Injury to All” – requires all working people of conscience to take a stand for justice;

THEREFOR BE IT RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 offers our deepest sympathy to, and stands in solidarity with, the family of George Floyd and the entire community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 calls for the immediate arrest and vigorous prosecution of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. We further call for the immediate arrest and vigorous prosecution of officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Keung for aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 calls for an immediate de-escalation by police and an end to police violence against protesters.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 supports President Gabel’s decision to sever the University of Minnesota’s contracts with the MPD and we call upon other institutions to likewise disassociate.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 calls for immediate and ongoing community oversight of the Minneapolis Police Department.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 calls for a thoroughgoing review of law enforcement policies and practices by federal, state, and local authorities, followed by concrete and systemic reforms to ensure that all people in our society are granted equal treatment by law enforcement and criminal justice systems, regardless of the color of their skin.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 calls for an end to systemic racist police terror and the murder of black and brown people in our communities.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that AFSCME 3800 will mobilize our members to safely participate in or otherwise support actions called for by those seeking Justice for George Floyd.

White supremacy and systemic oppression must end!

Black Lives Matter!

An injury to one is an injury to all!

Adopted at the May 28, 2020 Membership Meeting

#MinneapolisMN #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #AFSCMELocal3800 #Antiracism #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Washington, DC – The streets around the White House are packed with people, June 6, as the massive protest demanding justice for George Floyd and others who have been impacted by police crimes continues to grow. Many tens of thousands are joining in. President Trump finds himself increasingly isolated. The National Guard and federal paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city.

#WashingtonDC #OppressedNationalities #US #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #DonaldTrump #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, workers from across the city of Milwaukee joined a labor contingent in support of a rally and march for police accountability.

The march was hosted by the family of Alvin Cole and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for “The Three”: Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Jr., and Antonio Gonzales – all victims of Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Anthony Mensah.

Union workers of the labor contingent could be seen wearing t-shirts and buttons from AFSCME, AFGE, AFT, IAM, IATSE, NALC, Workers United, Teamsters, Nurses, and others, along with the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC).

The contingent was organized by members of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Young Workers Committee of the MALC.

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #AFSCME #laborUnions #TeachersUnions #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Zee Rainey, a steward from Teamsters Local 455 stated, “There’s no hate unless we divide.” The group then marched to the capitol building and joined up with an estimated 1000 protesters, where speeches continued.

When the fight against police takes the form of community control of the police, it begins to echo the political dynamic of the labor movement; civilian police accountability councils and labor unions both protect the masses by offering real consequences to enemies of the people. As Rainey notes during his speech, “I’m for the people. I’m for the union that cares about the people, and all my brothers and sisters here with me today are for the people.”

#DenverCO #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #PoliceBrutality #PublicSectorUnions #Antiracism #laborUnions #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

On Saturday, May 30, protesters in Grand Rapids gathered at Rosa Parks Circle for what was planned to be a silent march through the city. Instead, protesters crowded around the Grand Rapids Police Department shouting, “I can’t breathe!” “No justice, no peace!” “Hands up! Don’t shoot!” and “Say his name: George Floyd!” Thousands of people surrounded the building containing the GRPD at the height of the protest. According to WOODTV, clashes erupted around 9 p.m. as protesters smashed windows on the building containing the GRPD and other buildings downtown and burned several police vehicles.

On May 31, several thousand protesters attended a rally at the capitol in Lansing. Protesters initially gathered on the steps to display signs and listen to speakers about the need for police accountability and announcements about organizations pushing for police transparency.

As the crowd grew, chanting began as a young Black man and woman moved through the crowd with a megaphone, calling for the protesters to chant and take to the streets and “Do something!” Around noon the crowd began to walk out into the streets downtown, briefly returned to the capitol lawn, and finally began a sustained march through the streets.

According to the Lansing State Journal, the marching continued well into the evening, and included groups going as far as the East Lansing Police Department. Around 6:30 p.m., a car attempted to drive into the crowd and was flipped over and set on fire. Shortly thereafter, one man in the crowd broke the window of a Chase Bank, and an altercation broke out nearby. In response, police fired teargas into the crowd to disperse it.

Actions continued later in the week in both cities, with protesters gathering in downtown Grand Rapids daily, despite National Guard presence. In Lansing, a man named Paul Birdsong staged a one-man protest at the capitol Wednesday night, laying on the ground. Hundreds of people ultimately gathered within an hour and marched briefly to Sparrow Hospital and back. As the Lansing curfew approached, Birdsong told the gathered crowd he would be out at the Capitol at 7 p.m. every night until change happened.

#GrandRapidsMI #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

St. Paul, MN – On Friday, June 5, the day after the Minneapolis memorial for George Floyd, and two days after all of his killers were finally charged for his murder, the building that houses the office of state Attorney General Keith Ellison was shut down by some 3000 protesters who came to demand more than charges in this single case. Organized by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J), they called for re-opening all the cases of police homicide that district attorneys have failed to prosecute in counties across the state, and for community control of police to bring an end to police crimes against their communities. At the same time, they pledged to keep pressure on AG Ellison, to ensure he effectively prosecutes the four fired cops who murdered Floyd.

Protesters filled the street and sidewalks for two blocks, rallying with speakers from community, labor and student groups, as well as family members of loved ones killed by police.

AFSCME Local 3800 member Meron Negussie began by calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in her Louisville home. “George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight in Minneapolis, which led to the arrest of four former officers involved. It took not just Minnesota but the whole world for that to happen in a system that is designed to oppress and terrorize and oppress brown and Black folk. We made that happen. Power to the people!”

“The murdering of Black and brown people is the great American pastime,” said Mahva Jones, also of AFSCME 3800. “This is not a moment; this is a movement. We are here to take over. We are not here to stand by and let this crap continue.”

All of Floyd’s killer have been arrested, and the prosecution was taken out of the hands of County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose delays gave rise to a nationwide outpouring of rage and the burning of hundreds of buildings in the Twin Cities, including the Third Precinct police station. Almost every speaker expressed no confidence that the case was safe in the hands of AG Ellison.

“Now is not the time to get complacent. Now is the time for boots on the ground, and squeeze!” said Don Williams, grandfather of Brian Quiñones, a hip hop artist whose was murdered by police in Richfield, Minnesota in September 2019. In response to the scrutiny now faced by the Minneapolis police department, he said, “If the Department of Justice or somebody investigates the MPD, they need to turn around and investigate the Hennepin County District Attorney’s office, both of Mike Freeman’s terms and Amy Klobuchar’s term.”

The Twin Cities have been rocked by massive protests every day, and nightly clashes with police, in response to the murder of George Floyd last Monday night. Marques Armstrong from Racial Justice Network said, “We ain’t following their rules anymore because their rules are set up for us to fail and them to win.” He added, “I bet they know now that we serious as hell about this!”

Gabriel Black Elk of Native Lives Matter spoke about his brother Paul Castaway, who was killed by Denver police. When he struggled for words, the crowd chanted, “We’ve got your back!” He also told the story of a Native woman who was killed by police in New Brunswick, Canada, just two days before. The crowd joined him in chants of “Justice for Chantel Moore!”

A close friend of Travis Jordan spoke about how he was murdered by Minneapolis police last year, when a wellness check turned into a senseless murder.

Sharaunta Beach from AFSCME 2822 also called for the ouster of Mike Freeman and Amy Klobuchar. She said, “We want justice. We want justice now. We gotta stand up, boots on the ground, and fight back.”

Kobe Heisler was killed by Brooklyn Center police last September. His father, Jason Heisler said, “My son is a Black autistic man, who was 21 years old, unarmed in his own house. We don’t need cops taking a knee, we need to change the police force. It needs systematic reform from the top down. Kobe was an autistic Black gay man they murdered in his own house.” For the first time, just this week, a few members of the family viewed an edited version of the body camera footage of the deadly encounter. They want the unedited video released immediately.

Autumn Lake of the Anti-War Committee called out the surplus military equipment transferred to local police departments across the U.S., “equipment that we have seen used by the occupying forces of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul police departments every day since we started protesting for George Floyd.”

She then addressed the 1969 Stonewall Riot against police terror in New York. “The queer community of New York decided that they had enough of being dragged out into the street and beaten by police, they had enough of lives being stolen by the police, and they decided they were gonna fucking fight back. The first punch was thrown by a Black lesbian named Stormé DeLarverie, and the first brick was thrown by a Black transgender woman by the name of Martha P Johnson. We did not cancel Pride this year [the official event was canceled because of coronavirus restrictions], we’re doing it the same way Marsha and Storm did, and we’re doing it by resisting police terror together!” Lake mentioned the recent murder of Black trans man Tony McDade by police in Tallahassee, Florida, and the Monday’s mob attack on a Black trans woman named Iyanna Dior in the Twin Cities.

UMN Students for a Democratic Society speaker Jaelah Lyman lifted up the names of Black women killed by police, and called for community control of the police, including on the University of Minnesota campus, where the Minneapolis Police Department will no longer be involved, but the University of Minnesota Police Department continues to be a problem.

After more than an hour of speakers and chants led by TCC4J organizers Angel Smith El, the protesters set out to march to the state capitol building. Cars honked their support, and folks on the street joined in the chants, including dozens of people at a transit station who through their hands in the air, chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot!”

It’s clear that the fight against police crimes is just getting going in Minnesota, and community members are fighting to win.

#StPaulMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #TwinCitiesCoalition4JusticeForJamarTCC4J #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Los Angeles, CA – Only a week after marches, protests and car caravans demanding justice for George Floyd and victims of the Los Angeles Police Department broke out across Los Angeles, this rebellion has already begun to win concessions from the LA city government. While Mayor Garcetti and the LAPD initially repressed the uprising of Angelenos by instituting a 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, calling in the National Guard, and mass-arresting those struggling in the streets, attempts to stop the momentum of protesters have failed. In particular, actions organized on June 2 and 3 by Black Lives Matter-LA – first at the mansion of Mayor Garcetti and then at the Hall of Justice – have been decisive in the efforts to defund the police and defeat the curfew.

These demonstrations on back-to-back days followed a week of protests that have effectively combined both ‘violence’ and ‘nonviolence,’ exposing the LAPD and Mayor Garcetti’s true faces to the city. As covered by Fight Back!, on Wednesday, May 27, BLM-LA’s weekly protest against Jackie Lacey evolved into a 1000-person march which took over the 101 Freeway. During that action, the California Highway Patrol drove through the crowd, striking one protester.

On Saturday, May 30, BLM-LA held a rally at Pan Pacific Park before marching through Fairfax. Enraged police officers argued with protesters before beating them with their batons, using tear gas and shooting rubber bullets. The same afternoon in Boyle Heights, Centro CSO organized their own rally as part of the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) National Day of Protest, with Chicanos coming out in the hundreds to demand justice for George Floyd and victims of LAPD and LA Sheriffs terror. Every day new actions, both planned and spontaneous, occur across Los Angeles, from Long Beach to Pasadena.

As in Minneapolis and cities around the U.S., protesters have also risen up against police brutality by ‘shopping for free’ at different businesses, especially affluent areas in the West Area. LAPD and the city government have been caught off guard, forcing Los Angeles to put in place a curfew and request backup from the National Guard. LAPD has used the curfew, which disproportionately hurts working people, to arrest more and more protesters, only fueling the city’s anger.

Beyond the repression happening on the ground, Mayor Garcetti’s plan to increase funding to police during this current economic and health crisis created by COVID-19 has infuriated Los Angeles. Garcetti proposed reducing public services and furloughing city workers due to a budget shortfall while siphoning more money to LAPD, which already receives more than half the budget. In response, BLM-LA has pushed a People’s Budget, which will defund the police and prioritize desperately needed public services.

In the late afternoon of June 2, BLM-LA took their demands directly to Mayor Garcetti’s house. An initial group of protesters, including members of Centro CSO, convened at Harold A. Henry Park. After hearing instructions from BLM-LA leaders, protesters marched through the elite neighborhood of Hancock Park, taking over Wilshire Boulevard on their way to a rally outside of Mayor Garcetti’s mansion. Thousands of protesters spontaneously arrived once pictures and videos of the action began popping up on social media. When a swarm of helmeted LAPD officers lined up on the north part of the block, over 100 protesters sat in front to block off their approach. Eventually, police retreated, and protesters chanted “Whose streets? Our streets!”

Throughout the rally, BLM-LA’s organizers, along with families who have lost loved ones to police terror, condemned Mayor Garcetti’s plan to increase funding for LAPD. They also called for Garcetti to fire Chief of Police Michel Moore who said of looters and George Floyd, “His death is on their hands, as much as it is those officers.” The chants “Defund the police,” “Fuck Garcetti,” and “Jackie Lacey must go” rang out over and over again.

The following day, June 3, BLM-LA led another protest outside of the Hall of Justice, a weekly tradition that the organization has maintained for more than two and a half years in order to put pressure on LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. On this occasion, tens of thousands of protesters gathered to demand the prosecution of killer cops and voting out DA Lacey. With the National Guard on the Hall of Justice’s front steps as well as in the streets and surrounding buildings, BLM-LA activists explained how DA Lacey has refused to hold a single cop accountable for any of the 600 killings that have occurred during her term.

BLM-LA introduced thousands of new attendees to a tradition that they follow at every protest, calling out the names from a long list of men and women who have been killed by LAPD in the last few years. Relatives of Grechario Mack, Eric Rivera, Kenneth Ross Jr., and many other victims of police terror described how their loved ones have been killed and Lacey has let off the officers every time. BLM-LA also invited Chicano allies who regularly attend the Jackie Lacey protest to speak as well. German Romero, a member of Centro CSO, spoke about the killing of his 14-year-old son Jesse Romero in Boyle Heights. The sister of Cesar Rodriguez also described how Long Beach police wrestled her brother in front of an oncoming train because he allegedly hadn’t paid for his metro ride.

One of the last speakers, BLM activist Joseph Williams reminded protesters how BLM-LA’s fight against DA Jackie Lacey is nothing new and urged all in attendance to find an organization to continue growing this movement.

“We've been out here in front of Jackie Lacey’s office every week for two and a half years. Every week! Do y’all think that cops would get away with killing our people if all of us showed up like this every week?” asked Williams. “The pain for Eric Rivera and Grechario Mack and all these folks up here, all these families, that shit don’t end. So all of us, we gotta make sure our commitment to this don’t end. We gotta make sure our anger about this shit don’t end.”

As the rally in front of the Hall of Justice concluded, BLM-LA announced that Mayor Garcetti was in fact at city hall. Protesters, who had been sitting so that everyone could see the speakers, rose to their feet and marched the one block so the mayor could hear their demands. Crowding onto the steps of City Hall and Grand Park, protesters chanted, “Rise up! Resist, don’t need no killer cops or jails! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” and “Fuck your curfew!”

This rebellion has already begun to win reforms from the city government only one week after its emergence. Mayor Garcetti has announced that he will scrap his proposed budget and actually cut $250 million that he had intended to hand over to LAPD. Instead, Garcetti has said this money will go toward education, health and jobs in Black communities as well as other initiatives. While the National Guard remains on the streets, protests have forced the city of Los Angeles to lift the curfew.

As the week-by-week growth of BLM-LA’s Jackie Lacey Must Go protest has shown, conditions in Los Angeles are changing rapidly. Mayor Garcetti and the city council’s change of heart on the budget vote indicates that the uprising has scared the Los Angeles elite. The people must continue taking to the streets to demand justice for all victims of police terror.

#LosAngelesCA #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #LAPD #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare.

Dear comrades of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization,

In these days of pain, pride and struggle, Fronte Popolare is at your side. Our organization is supportive of those who are fighting for the dignity and rights of all women and men. The results of the mass uprising that exploded with the murder of George Floyd by a racist policeman are of decisive importance not only for American society and for the redemption of the nationalities and oppressed communities that make it up, but for the cause of human liberation that unites us all over the world.

George Floyd's name adds to the endless list of lives devoured by centuries-old racial hatred that U.S. capitalism and imperialism have fueled, which have served to strengthen the regime of class oppression on which their power is built on a planetary scale. It is against this situation that today the most conscious sectors of the working classes are revolting with extraordinary force. It is the presentment of barbarism to which it leads that mobilizes new crowds.

In recent years we have observed with growing enthusiasm and interest the amplification of the social struggle fronts in the United States. The U.S. working class wants radical change, and it is to hinder this will that once again, as has happened many times in the history of your country, ruling classes' repression shows its most ferocious face. The arrogance of Trump, who, from the besieged White House, threatens the deployment of the army against the people, only attests that times are changing.

In the years of his presidency, Trump has done everything in his power to restore ancient prejudices and divide workers. Millions of people are still victims of discrimination and fear. Trump's violence has done nothing more than bring down the ‘liberal’ facade of the U.S. political and social regime and inflict a severe blow on the credibility of its institutions.

The change is possible in the United States today. It will not be easy: the struggle will be hard, and the result uncertain, but the determination shown in the streets of dozens of cities by the mass movement gives a tangible hope.

The United States is the pivot of the world imperialist system. Its armies are deployed all over the world and also in our country, Italy. The power of U.S. economic and financial institutions still dictates the pace of world capitalism. Precisely for this reason, we look at the events of the last few days as something that directly concerns us. From the outcome of your struggles depends much on the destiny of all of us.

We acknowledge the quality and determination of the U.S. political organizations at the forefront of the struggle for socialism. Among these organizations, FRSO occupies an important position, and we are proud of the bond of brotherhood that unites us. We know that you will live up to your tasks. From our country, we will do everything possible to ensure active support and genuine internationalist solidarity for you and all those who fight together with you. Together, we will ensure that all forms of oppression, exploitation, hatred and racism will be defeated forever. The path to freedom will be opened up for all those living on United States land.

Not a step back!

Alessio Arena

Central Secretary – Fronte Popolare

#UnitedStates #International #OppressedNationalities #US #Europe #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #Socialism #FrontePopolare #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Chicago, IL – Over 2000 cars, most with multiple occupants, and 1000 people on foot participated in a car caravan and march organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) on June 3. The caravan blocked streets near the Chicago Police Department headquarters for miles, while marchers went past roadblocks to confront around 100 riot police directly in front of the headquarters before continuing to congregate in a local park.

Frank Chapman, field organizer of CAARPR, wrote of the demonstration, “The demonstrations organized by Black Lives Matter and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression we had here in Chicago involving thousands of people are demanding more than indicting killer cops. We stand in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis for they are clearly trailblazing the road to justice for George Floyd's family and the people. Yet it is precisely the George Floyd case that makes it crystal clear that we need community control of the police.”

Chapman continued, “The task of our movement at this moment is not to simply raise the demand for community control of the police but to demand that the mayor and the city council pass into law our proposed Ordinance for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) now! It is our duty to keep the momentum of the movement going until the people are politically empowered to decide who polices our communities and how our communities are policed. All power to the people!”

#ChicagoIL #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #civilianPoliceAccountabilityCouncilCPAC #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

New Orleans, LA – The night of June 3, hundreds of New Orleans protesters climbed the Crescent City Connection to fight racist violence and demand justice for police murders. The Connection is a highway bridge that crosses the Mississippi River to connect the East and West banks of New Orleans. The protesters fought as part of the Black Lives Matter and Justice for George Floyd movements, rallying behind various calls to abolish prisons and police.

“No justice, no peace!” and “Black Lives Matter!” rang up and down the highway. Black participants came right up to the mic to express their disgust for the police.

The New Orleans Police Department showed up in full riot gear and attacked. They launched tear gas, almost starting a stampede on a bridge with a 170-foot drop to the Mississippi River. Then, they beat protesters with clubs, shot rubber bullets, and arrested five demonstrators. This was clear political repression to put down a powerful anti-racist movement. All this after they ‘took a knee’ to feign support for protesters the night before.

“The police and prisons are here to protect the rich” yelled an anonymous speaker. “We can’t talk to cops, we must abolish police and prisons.”

In the neighboring Jefferson Parish on May 28, an officer shot and killed a 35-year-old Black man: Modesto “Desto” Reyes. Desto Reyes was a well-known rapper and Hard Rock Hotel collapse survivor. The protest stood in solidarity with his family, which called their own event the next day at 2 p.m. More demonstrations have taken place over the past week in New Orleans and other Louisiana cities such as Marrero, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

#NewOrleansLA #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #NewOrleansPoliceDepartment #ModestoDestoReyes