Milwaukee, WI – On the morning of June 4, the family of Alvin Cole, a 17-year-old African American teen who was killed by Wauwatosa Police on February 2, together with around 25 supporters, held a press conference. The family, led by Alvin’s mother Tracy and his sister Taleavia, made their intentions clear: they want justice, but not just for Alvin.

Milwaukee, WI – The weekend has come and gone, but the uprising that began on Friday, May 29 has continued and grown. On June 2, the largest demonstration to date occurred, even in spite of the blistering heat and heavy humidity.

Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin District of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the decision of Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett to impose a 9 p.m. curfew and to call in members of the National Guard to help enforce it. This curfew and the troop deployment is meant to suppress the righteous anger of the masses in Milwaukee over the city’s terrible record of police crimes.

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.

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.

Activists organizing call-in to respond

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.

Milwaukee, WI – Around this time every year, open-enrollment for health insurance benefits begins at the Milwaukee Center For Independence (MCFI), a social services agency in Milwaukee. Workers at the agency meet a range of needs such as mental health services, day-programming for people with disabilities, and job-training for people who want to enter the workforce.

Milwaukee, WI—The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention met with officials from the city of Milwaukee on May 21 to discuss the coalition’s permit and plan to protest. The goals of the coalition are to defeat President Trump and to advance a progressive people’s agenda, thus building stronger movements to challenge the Democratic Party. Lawyers for the Wisconsin ACLU arranged the meeting and led the discussions.

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.”

Case brings up memories of the past police crimes

Milwaukee, WI – Three weeks ago, on the morning of April 19, an off-duty Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officer named Michael Mattioli was arrested for beating someone into an unresponsive state at a party hosted at his, the cop’s, house on Milwaukee’s South Side. Mattioli was booked at Milwaukee County Jail on tentative charges of first-degree reckless injury and strangulation. He was released on April 23 after posting the $50,000 cash bail. Mattioli was placed on administrative duties and formally suspended by MPD after his arrest. He has a court date set for June 10.