Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, June 26, the family of Brieon Green held a balloon release to mark one year since his passing. Green’s family has been fighting for justice with the help of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) and the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition. This fight has taken many forms – from marching in the streets to meeting with the district attorney and the Milwaukee County sheriff.

After Green’s death, there have been three more in-custody deaths at the Milwaukee County Jail. These in-custody deaths reveal clear negligence from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in the jail and ineffective policies and procedures. In Green’s case, the correctional officer failed to do a proper and timely wellness check. Law requires wellness checks to be completed every 15 minutes.

MSCO has been less than cooperative when the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition and the MAARPR asked for basic things such as their policies and procedures in the jails and for Sheriff Denita Ball to hold a town hall. The MCSO has even made a bogus claim that the family cannot have Brieon’s personal belongings because “this is an ongoing investigation.”

While the system attempts to slow down Green’s family, they are strong and resilient as they continue this fight a year later. The Justice for Brieon Green Coalition also brought together other families, such as the family of Cilivea Thyrion, who passed away in the jail in December.

As a result of this continued fight, the Milwaukee County board of supervisors are also looking to pass a jail audit, which aims at bringing transparency to the public about what goes on in County Jail. Some of Green’s family are also members of MAARPR and have aided in the fight for the recent Standard Operating Procedure 575 victory, which revolves around the timely release of body camera footage to the public by the Milwaukee police department.

Whether it’s in the courtrooms or the streets, the family continues to fight for justice for Brieon Green. Long live Brieon Green!

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Madison, WI – Milwaukee organizations rallied inside the state capitol in Madison on Monday, June 12, to voice firm disapproval of the shared revenue agreement between Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Republicans. According to reports, the latest shared revenue proposal is scheduled to pass through both the state assembly and senate on Wednesday, June 14. From there, Governor Evers is poised to accept it.

When the original proposals for the shared revenue appeared last month, Governor Evers vetoed them, claiming he wouldn’t support the conditional strings attached. However, late last week, Governor Evers changed his stance. Rather than continuing to fight against the pressure of the GOP who've been seeking to strip Milwaukee’s democratic gains, Governor Evers seems to have succumbed.

“This most recent example of ‘reaching across the aisle’ to come to a ‘compromise’ is in reality a complete betrayal of the masses of people, with those in Milwaukee getting the shortest stick,” said Nadezdha Young of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “It would be more accurately characterized as an historic setback, only further proof that 'compromise' is code for 'moving backwards.'”

The compromise represents major assaults on several fronts. The Republicans are getting what they want, which includes the reinstatement of police in Milwaukee Public Schools, forcing more cops in communities, gutting of public services, the elimination of the Fire and Police Commission’s power to create policy, an end to the ability for the people to put forward referenda on issues of political importance (for example, abortion access), an historic increase in the state funding of private schools, the inability for communities to utilize state funds for DEI initiatives, and other backwards policies.

“The action to take away the democratic rights of working-class people, specifically Black and brown working class people, is a trend among the national Republican Party,” said Omar Flores, one of the spokespeople for the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024. “There is no doubt in our minds that Evers bending to the will of the Republicans is being influenced by the fact that they are visiting Milwaukee in 2024.”

Milwaukee is under attack from multiple fronts, and Democratic leadership appears to have willingly sacrificed Milwaukee. This includes both Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Supervisor David Crowley, who met and reached a backroom deal with Wisconsin Republicans prior to the decision by Evers. It’s becoming increasingly evident that democratic gains will not come from or be protected by elected officials regardless of the party that they are representing.

“Our democratic gains have come because working class people and grassroots organizations came together and mobilized around demands that come from our people,” said Alan Chavoya, the outreach chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression. “We must have a direct say into how our communities function. Students clearly didn’t want police in their schools, and communities wanted greater transparency from the police. Governor Evers must respect those demands and throw away this garbage proposal.”

Regardless of a short turnaround period, eight Milwaukee organizations were able to show up with good numbers to the state capitol to demand that Governor Evers draft a new shared revenue deal with no strings attached. Although the proposal is highly likely to pass on Wednesday, these organizations will continue to voice a firm condemnation of the proposal and urge people to call Governor Evers and demand he throw it away.

#MadisonWI #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – Thursday, May 25 marked the three-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by killer cop Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. George Floyd’s murder sparked a rebellion in which millions took to the streets in the U.S. and around the world. His murder resonated in Milwaukee, a city with countless victims of police crimes. To commemorate George Floyd and all victims of police crimes in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) organized a vigil.

“May 25, 2020 was a day that changed many of us,” said Femi Akinmoladun, member of the Milwaukee Alliance. Tens of thousands of people in Milwaukee poured into the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and other victims of police crimes in the city. Milwaukee has a long history of police crimes, many of which involved officers or racist vigilantes choking a Black or brown man to death.

Speaking to this history, Brian Verdin, education chair of the MAARPR, said, “When I saw the footage of George Floyd’s murder, I couldn’t help but think about the people in Milwaukee who have been killed in similar ways – choked to death. I think about Ernest Lacy in 1981. Derek Williams in 2011. Corey Stingley in 2012. Joel Acevedo in 2020, one month before George Floyd.”

Three years have passed, and although the streets aren’t filled with thousands of people, the organizing has not stopped. As Lo Cross, co-chair of the MAARPR, stated, “There’s a lot of work to be done. It’s a long struggle. It has been three years since George Floyd was murdered, but the struggle continues. We’re only going to win what we’re organized to take. We can’t wait for the next spontaneous event to set off another wave of struggle. We must build up our organization and be ready.”

The struggle continues, and in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Alliance has been diligently building partnerships with other community organizations to push for progressive changes. Speaking to this, Donyae Robinson, organizer with Black Leaders Organizing Communities, said, “If we stand up together, I feel like nothing can stop us.”

#MilwaukeeWI #OppressedNationalities #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #Antiracism #GeorgeFloyd #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Fight Back News Service is circulating the statement from the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR).

On February 24, 2023, two Milwaukee police officers were criminally charged for their involvement in the in-custody death of Keishon Thomas. Thomas died on February 23, 2022 from acute mixed drug intoxication due to staff neglect and abuse while being held in Police District 5.

The officers involved were Donald Krueger and Marco Lopez. Krueger is charged with one felony count of abuse of a resident in a penal facility. Lopez is charged with one felony count of misconduct in public office. While we recognize these charges as progress, there were a total of thirteen other officers on duty who were responsible also for Thomas at the time of his death.

These charges come just over a year after Thomas’ death. Throughout this process, MPD stalled internal investigations, failed to be transparent in their findings, and harassed Thomas’ family. The District Attorney’s office also failed to be transparent in their review and keep Thomas’ family in the loop with the investigation. All of these factors further contributed to community distrust in the police and a delay in justice for the affected family.

The Milwaukee Alliance has continued to work on our campaign for 24/48. In this campaign, we demand that in cases of officer involved deaths, the involved officers’ names must be released within 24 hours. Moreover, the unredacted footage of these cases must be publicly released within 48 hours. A policy like this would make the issue of in-custody deaths more transparent for the public, hold officers involved accountable, and give closure to the families of victims. Keishon Thomas' family had to wait multiple months before they were able to see any footage. When they were able to see the footage, it was heavily edited and left them with more questions.

Again, we recognize that charging these two officers is a step towards justice for Thomas’ family, but we are also demanding that they get indicted. Furthermore, we are demanding for policy changes that ensure transparency and accountability from MPD. The fight for transparency and accountability gets results the fastest with fighting families and community organizations. The results of this investigation would not have been possible without Thomas’ family, who helped politicize the issue.  There is a long way to go in the fight towards justice for victims, but the future is bright.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #StopPoliceCrimes

Laquita Dunlap, Brieon’s mother, and Brieanna Green, Brieon’s twin sister, delivered powerful statements to the members of the Fire and Police Commission (FPC). They demanded the FPC create a Standard Operating Procedure that codifies the timely, public release of footage and names of officers involved in cases of police misconduct. Having gone through nearly six months of struggle to access the footage pertaining to Brieon’s death, they spoke with a profound conviction that even moved a commissioner to tears.

In her public comment, Brieanna read aloud the following poem she had written for Brieon Green:

Demanding for full footage since June 26, 2022, is what brings me here. You were supposed to be protected. You were supposed to be here. But instead, you got neglected, and left with fear. How are we supposed to trust, when nothing seems clear.

Going on 6 months, still no full video footage, no transparency, no accountability. This is too much to bear. This is so unfair.

Before this meeting, Green’s family had been primarily focused on demanding transparency from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. They decided to attend and speak at the FPC’s meeting because they firmly believe there needs to also be transparency and accountability from the Milwaukee Police Department.

Throughout the 24/48 campaign, the Milwaukee Alliance has been supported by families who have been impacted by police crimes. These demands for transparency and accountability have been significantly informed by the fighting families of Milwaukee.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – After over five months of struggle, the Waukesha Sheriff’s Department, which led the investigation into Brieon Green’s death at Milwaukee County Jail, concluded their investigation and handed the related materials to Milwaukee County’s District Attorney John Chisholm. On December 1, DA Chisholm invited Green’s family and their legal team to review footage and files from the investigation.

Alan Chavoya, outreach chair of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, was also asked by Green’s family to join them at the DA’s office to review the footage. After the meeting, a press conference was held to discuss some of the findings.

The footage reviewed at the meeting was from a security camera inside Milwaukee County Jail, which was pointed in the direction of the holding cell where Green was placed. Less than half an hour after entering the cell, Green proceeded to use the metal cord from the telephone inside the cell to begin strangling himself. Approximately 10 seconds after Green begins to do so, a correctional officer (CO) walks by the cell, supposedly conducting a routine wellness check. The footage shows the CO simply walking by the cell, slightly turning his head in the direction of the cell. The CO spent less than a second doing this wellness check on Green. It would take another 37 minutes for a second officer to conduct the next wellness check and seek medical attention for Green. At this point, Green had passed.

Speaking at the press conference after reviewing the footage, Green’s aunt Monique Brewer said, “This was the day we’ve been waiting for, and we just wanted to know what happened. In the midst of this happening, it could have been prevented.”

Had the CO taken even a few seconds to pause and look into Green’s cell, he may have been able to save his life. Tying it into the family’s demand for transparency, Chavoya demanded the public release of all footage and the name of the CO.

From January to August, there have been four deaths inside Milwaukee County Jail. The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office has repeated the line that they are doing the best they can but are unable to provide adequate care due to staffing issues. As Chavoya said, “This isn’t a staffing issue. Once the second CO finds Brieon and calls for assistance, you can see a swarm of about 20 COs surround the cell. They were there, but they’re just not doing their job.”

We now know how Green died, but there are many lingering questions. Green’s family plans on reviewing the rest of the footage and documents related to the case. Furthermore, the family, together with the Milwaukee Alliance and the Justice for Brieon Green Coalition, are demanding the following:

-- Fire and charge the correctional officer who failed to provide Brieon Green with lifesaving care.

-- All footage related to Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office misconduct to be released within 48 hours, and the names of officers involved released within 24 hours.

-- Sheriff Denita Ball to immediately meet with the family of Brieon Green to discuss policy changes that will eliminate deaths in detention.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #BrieonGreen

Along with the one-year anniversary of the renaming, Saturday’s celebration was also an opportunity to gather community input for a mural that the Milwaukee Parks Foundation has commissioned to be painted at the park. Members of True Skool Inc., a hip hop artist collective that works closely with Milwaukee youth and who will be painting the mural, are committed to painting a mural that celebrates both Berrien and the community. Some of the mural ideas presented to True Skool Inc. on Saturday included images of Berrien and the work she did around the city, like fighting for welfare rights, fighting against racist repression and demanding police accountability.

The Milwaukee Alliance intends on making this an annual event to continue celebrating Berrien and to bring the community together.

In Milwaukee, parks are invaluable resources for communities. However, Milwaukee County officials have preferred to slash funding for their maintenance in order to continue increasing funding for the Sheriff’s Office. Many community members expressed a desire to watch the park thrive as it once did decades ago when Berrien lived in the community. It may take some time, but the Milwaukee Alliance will join the community in making Berrien Park a park that families frequent and where they feel safe and empowered and a park that reflects the legacy of Lucille Berrien.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – On Monday, October 3, more than 30 people rallied and marched into the Common Council Chambers of City Hall to voice their disapproval of Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s budget proposal and demand a budget that reflects the needs of the people of Milwaukee.

This event served as the kick-off for a new campaign demanding a People’s Budget in Milwaukee. The demands for the new budget include: No layoffs for general city employees; implement the raises that were promised by the city (2% for general city employees and a 1% alternative to hazard pay already approved under ARPA); and reinvest 50% of the Milwaukee Police Department’s budget to fund public sector jobs, culture, recreation and mental health services

These demands are vital for Milwaukee. After decades of slashes to public services to increase the reckless funding of the police, Mayor Johnson is poised to increase MPD’s budget to nearly half of the city’s budget, even if it leads Milwaukee to insolvency. Despite claims that the budget is getting rid of 17 police officers, the budget is still committed to paying $100 million in police pensions alone, which these 17 officers will, of course, receive.

The event was organized by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), Students for a Democratic Society – Milwaukee (SDS), Young Workers Committee (YWC) and AFSCME District Council 32.

“We’ve already been feeling the financial strains of the economy,” said Alan Chavoya, outreach chair of the Milwaukee Alliance. “The cost of all our basic needs are skyrocketing as our wages remain stagnant. All the ingredients are there for a worsening recession, and with this proposal, we’re guaranteed to see significant slashes to public sector jobs and much needed services. So, Mayor Johnson is basically securing the loss of around 1000 public sector jobs in the near future in order to further fund the police. How does that make sense?”

“General city employees have been asked to do more with less, and for less. In the last ten years, those city employees have not seen across-the-board raises,” said Mark Pelzek, vice president of AFSCME District Council 32. Although the conditions general city employees face can be, at least, partially attributed to the Governor Walker-era Act 10 legislation, Pelzek said, “while the mayors have been forced to choose between funding public services or the police, and year after year, they have chosen to fully fund the police.”

Among the public services being sacrificed to fund the police are various libraries, where operating hours will be significantly reduced with this budget proposal. Libraries provide important resources for Milwaukee communities.

“We deserve to live in a world where our neighbors, our teachers, our families, our coworkers, and our public workers are treated with respect and integrity. Where no child’s access to music, art, language learning, or wellness opportunities are cut short because their government decided to prioritize jailing their brothers, sisters, cousins and parents over their education and wellbeing,” said Liam Farin of SDS.

#MilwaukeeWI #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #StopPoliceCrimes

There were only two community members attending, joined by activists of the Milwaukee Alliance. Most of the room was police officers in uniform, staffers and officials of Community Collaborative Commission (CCC), Fire and Police Commission (FPC), and Mayers Strategic Solutions, LLC.

Given that this session was held in the city’s South Side, with significant Chicano, Puerto Rican and Central American people, the police department provided a Spanish-speaking interpreter. Her skills ended up not being needed. To her credit, the interpreter did bring up the lack of community presence, pointedly asking the officials responsible if they “did any community outreach?”

After official explanations, Alan Chavoya, the outreach chair for the Milwaukee Alliance responded, “After speaking with community members about these sessions, they immediately become hesitant to attend when they hear there is an overwhelming police presence.”

Chavoya stated, “After the initial three sessions, it’s inconceivable that any honest community input will actually be factored into the standard operating procedure that is to come out of this process. The Milwaukee Alliance will continue to attend the sessions and push against the police presence.”

“If the organizers of this initiative are serious about having community input, they have to meet the people of Milwaukee where they are at, and they are currently at a place where they, for obvious reasons, have little to no trust in the police,” Chavoya explained.

Chavoya raised the volume, “We demand the next sessions have no police presence. Otherwise, the next 12 sessions will provide similar turnout. Rooms filled with cops and no community members. If that’s the community input that will factor into this SOP, we all know that policing in Milwaukee won’t change. The people of Milwaukee demand more transparency and accountability. This is what the Milwaukee Alliance continues to fight for.”

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – On Saturday, August 6, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a march and vigil with the family of Brieon Green and other community members. Green died at the jail on June 26. With a small but energetic crowd, the Milwaukee Alliance led people in a loop through the downtown area that began and ended in front of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

After the march, Angela Lang, executive director of Black Leaders Organizing Communities; Monique Dunlap, Green’s aunt, and Omar Flores, co-chair of the MAARPR, spoke about Green's case and the need for transparency and accountability. After the march and speeches, the crowd met at Lake Park for a vigil.

Green’s family thinks it is important to keep having actions due to the lack of answers and transparency regarding the case. Monique Dunlap called for continued community support around the case.

“Don’t let them make decisions for our lives because their decision right now is for us to remain quiet,” Dunlap said.

Milwaukee County authorities are refusing to open an investigation, and without public pushback they will continue to drag their feet on Green’s case and more general issues within the Milwaukee County jail. As long as the family and community continue to have questions regarding his death, actions will continue.

News and media outlets have filed open records requests for the footage of Green inside the Milwaukee County jail, but none of the requests have been answered. Moreover, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office continues to refuse cooperation with the family’s legal team. Green’s family continues to hit frustrating roadblocks on the way to opening an investigation. However, none of these obstacles will deter the family and their supporters from seeking justice for Brieon.

The Milwaukee Alliance and Brieon's family continue to demand the following: The public release of all the officer’s names who arrested Green and handled his booking; the release of the body camera footage of all seven officers who interacted with Green during his arrest inside the county jail; the release of the footage from street cameras that captured Green’s arrest; the release of the footage from the squad car in which Green was arrested; the release of the footage from the cameras inside the county jail to ensure that Green was booked, medically cleared, and alive prior to being jailed; and for Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson to open an investigation into suicide prevention and conditions within Milwaukee County Jail.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #killerCops #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #StopPoliceCrimes

Milwaukee, WI – On Friday, July 29, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a press conference with the family of Brieon Green, a 21-year-old African American male who died last month at Milwaukee County Jail hours after his arrest. The Milwaukee Alliance joined Green’s family to voice the following demands:

-- The public release of all the officers’ names who arrested Green and handled his booking

-- The release of the body camera footage of all seven officers who interacted with Green during his arrest inside the county jail

-- The release of the footage from street cameras that captured Green’s arrest

-- The release of the footage from the squad car in which Green was arrested

-- The release of the footage from the cameras inside the county jail to ensure that Green was booked, medically cleared, and alive prior to being jailed

-- Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson to open an investigation into suicide prevention and conditions within Milwaukee County Jail

An entire month has passed since Green’s death, and his family has yet to receive any clear answers as to why and how he died. Green’s family deserves to know what happened, but the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is refusing to be transparent. Issues around transparency are not uncommon for law enforcement in Milwaukee, according to Brian Verdin, member of the Milwaukee Alliance and emcee of the event.

Verdin reminded the audience about the long history of similar cases in Milwaukee – cases like those of Ernest Lacy from over 41 years ago and Keishon Thomas from April of this year. In these cases, the people of Milwaukee demanded transparency and accountability. It’s no different today. Transparency and accountability remain crucial demands for families who’ve lost loved ones to police violence and to the Milwaukee Alliance.

“Too often, African American families are burying their children prematurely at the hands of law enforcement. It needs to stop,” said Forrest Brewer, the representative of Brieon Green’s family. “We should feel safe, as African Americans, [when] dealing with people who are assigned to protect us.”

Monique Dunlap, Green’s aunt, also spoke at the press conference. Dunlap listed the demands of the family and the Milwaukee Alliance and said that transparency is required in this case. Omar Flores, co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance, brought up the connection between Green’s death and Thomas’s death in April.

“The Thomas family had to suffer, waiting for footage related to his death. They waited 45 days for closure, and when they got the footage, it was edited and didn’t really show anything. This is because, according to the police investigating the case, they didn’t want to look bad. The DA and FPC must create policies that guarantee the transparency of the activities of law enforcement, especially when someone is harmed,” Flores said.

After speakers at the press conference finished, the energy and size of the crowd compelled the family and the Milwaukee Alliance to march from the courthouse to the front steps of the county jail. The police and sheriffs made their presence felt, but the Milwaukee Alliance ensured that the situation wouldn’t escalate. The action showed that the community supports the demands for transparency and accountability. The Milwaukee Alliance stands in full solidarity with Green’s family and will continue to assist them in their fight for justice.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #StopPoliceCrimes

Milwaukee, WI – On July 28, a group of more than 20 people rallied at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park in downtown Milwaukee before marching a half mile to the Wisconsin Club, where the Milwaukee chapter of the notorious Federalist Society were hosting its summer cocktail party. The crowd included members of the Democratic Socialists for America, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the National Lawyers Guild. Speeches were made just outside the big front windows of the building with some of the Federalists looking on.

“I am not three-fifths of a person,” declared Brandy Johnson, a member of DSA, said to open her speech. “But I am all the way pissed off about losing more of my rights!”

A representative of the NLG spoke about the history of the Federalist Society, and then a professor of law from Marquette University informed the crowd about the doctrine of law embraced by Federalists, something called “originalism.” Originalism is an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that aims to follow how it would have been understood or was intended to be understood at the time it was written.

The Federalist Society is not some shady organization that thinks bad things but has no way to act on them. They have a yearly annual budget of approximately $20 million. Their executive vice president, Leonard Leo, produced the list of 25 candidates for the Supreme Court for the Trump administration in 2018. Six out of the nine Justices on the Supreme Court were or are members of the Federalist Society, and that’s to say nothing about the many members of theirs who serve at the circuit court level across the country.

The Federalist Society is just one of many organizations that the ruling class wields in their ongoing war against the rest of society. Under capitalism, the struggle for human rights is very much a seesaw, with advances being rolled back time after time due to the nature of the state machine. The mechanism for working and oppressed peoples in this country to expand their rights is and will always be organization, but something more is needed if those rights are ever to be ingrained.

“The ruling class will always find a way to turn back the clock on our rights because doing so entrenches the system from which they benefit and profit from,” said Ryan Hamann of FRSO. “So we need organization, not just for the sake of building mass movements for defense against these attacks, but to raise the demand of socialism from the level of theoretical necessity to the level of practical reality.”

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – After a series of storms this week, the skies cleared up and the sun shone down on a lively Milwaukee crowd of 30 people gathering for a vigil on July 9 at Lucille Berrien Park hosted by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR). The vigil honored Jayland Walker and various victims of police crimes in Milwaukee, especially Ernest Lacy, who was murdered by Milwaukee police 41 years ago to the date.

Various families of victims of police in Milwaukee joined the Milwaukee Alliance to speak about their own cases and to explain the importance of legal and social change to prevent future cases of police crimes.

Maria Hamiton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, who was murdered by police in 2014, said, “we’re losing too many lives because of a system that is doing exactly what it was meant to be doing,” adding, “we need laws and policy to change.”

Linda and Jay Anderson Sr., parents of Jay Anderson, who was killed in 2016, explained that a lot has been accomplished these past two years. Officers and authorities from Wauwatosa left their positions after the immense pressure of the movement, but, as Jay Anderson Sr. expressed, “now we need to get this legislation and change these laws.” Despite the unsuccessful John Doe Case this year, the Andersons continue to fight and seek the changes required to hold the police and authorities accountable.

Cecil Lacy, brother of Ernest, and Myrtle Lacy, mother of Ernest, spoke next. They both documented the tragic events of that night in the summer of 1981, and they described how the police and authorities quickly sought to cover everything up, even harassing the Lacy family. Cecil Lacy spoke about how justice could not be brought about by authorities but only because “of the fight that’s in people like [the audience] who refuse to give up!” Other people who were commemorated at the vigil but whose families could not attend were Larry Jenkins, Antonio Gonzalez and Alvin Cole.

After the families spoke, Alan Chavoya, outreach chair of the Milwaukee Alliance, echoed the families’ demands for legal change in Milwaukee. Chavoya brought up the importance of the 24/48 campaign, which the families involved at the vigil have expressed their support for. Chavoya proceeded to read off the demands that the National Alliance put out this week, focusing on the last one, community control of the police.

As Chavoya stated, “When we say community control, we’re talking about community members having a direct and democratic say into who polices them and how they are policed. We need this because through community control, we, the people of Milwaukee, can hold the police accountable without depending on DAs or the FPC who drag their feet and waste our time.”

Omar Flores, who spoke on behalf of FRSO and is co-chair of the Milwaukee Alliance, provided a wider scope for the need for community control and bringing up the need for socialism. Flores stated, “We don’t have to have racist cop gangs. In the South, during Reconstruction, the community controlled the cops and the KKK almost went extinct.” It is only through organization that we can get these kinds of victories, and, as Flores exclaimed, “socialism is the only solution.”

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #JaylandWalker

Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression facilitated a meeting between the Fire and Police Commission (FPC) and families who have lost loved ones to police violence. Present at the meeting were the families of Samuel Rodriguez (murdered 2002), Larry Jenkins (murdered 2002), Jay Anderson Jr. (murdered 2016) and Alvin Cole (murdered 2020).

This meeting was coordinated after a meeting between the Milwaukee Alliance and the FPC last month in which the Milwaukee Alliance discussed the necessity of policy that ensures Milwaukee police publicly release the names of officers involved in police misconduct within 24 hours of the incident and all the unedited footage of the incident within 48 hours. They call it the 24/48 Campaign. The FPC is currently in the information gathering stage of their policy-creation procedure. They have expressed a desire to create a policy proposal regarding the release of footage by the fall.

Presently, there is no policy in Milwaukee that dictates when and how police publicly release footage related to police misconduct. The Milwaukee Police Department claims to follow an informal policy of releasing the footage within 45 days, but they often exceed that limit, only to release a heavily redacted video that fits their narrative, if they release the footage at all.

At the meeting the families stood firmly with the Milwaukee Alliance’s 24/48 Campaign demands. Taleavia Cole, sister of Alvin Cole and member of the Milwaukee Alliance, explained to the chair and commissioner of the FPC how important releasing the footage in a timely manner is to the families. Many families are often left wondering what happened that led to the death of their loved ones when the footage isn’t released, and, as Cole expressed, the wait is painful and prevents any healing for the families.

Debra Jenkins, mother of Larry Jenkins, vocalized the importance of also adding a punitive dimension to the policy. As happened in the cases of Jay Anderson Jr. and Alvin Cole, the same killer cop kept the cameras off. Jenkins demanded the FPC ensure the policy can hold these cops accountable when they turn their cameras off. Otherwise, police officers will continue to bypass the law and avoid any accountability.

Moreover, Linda and Jay Anderson, parents of Jay Anderson Jr., and Victor Rodriguez, father of Samuel Rodriguez, emphasized how families rarely have a fighting chance against the police in the courts because the police narrative gets out faster and dominates public perception. Publicly releasing the names and footage in a timely manner will help families improve their odds for justice in the court and will help them develop their own narrative ahead of the police.

The Milwaukee Alliance has been leading the 24/48 Campaign since the police murder of Roberto “Touch” Zielinski on May 30, 2021. This meeting between the families and the FPC is the latest and, perhaps, most powerful chapter thus far in the campaign. The FPC now has indisputable evidence that families impacted by police violence stand firmly with the Milwaukee Alliance’s demands.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

On Friday, May 27, the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) shot Leonna Hale, a 26-year-old pregnant Black woman, five times, following her involvement in a carjacking. Hale is reportedly in stable condition. An eyewitness says that the police officer shot Hale repeatedly after she had already put her hands up. KCPD and other law enforcement agencies are currently asserting that she was armed with a handgun when they opened fire on Hale. The eyewitness indicates Hale was not armed at the time of the shooting, though she told the officers there was a gun in the vehicle.

We at the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), are working on a campaign for the development of policy in Milwaukee. This policy would require the names of officers involved in misconduct released within 24 hours, and unredacted footage to be released to the public within 48 hours. The shooting of Hale demonstrates the need for police transparency throughout the U.S. Hale's loved ones, and the public in general, deserve to know what happened on May 27. At the time of writing, it has been four days since the KCPD shot Hale, and the footage has not been released.

The MAARPR demands that the KCPD release any related footage of this incident and the names of all police officers involved now! Since the shooting, law enforcement has publicized their narrative which conflicts with the eyewitness account on multiple important details. Our organization stands with the Hale family and offers our solidarity.

24/48 – Release the Names, Release the Tapes! Community Control of the Police Now! The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) campaigns against police crimes committed primarily against the poor and Black, indigenous, and people of color. We demand the creation of a civilian police accountability council, or CPAC, to ensure that our community is in direct control of our police force.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #LeonnaHale

Milwaukee, WI – On May 12, students at Golda Meir School organized a walkout near the end of their school day in protest of the Supreme Court majority opinion report that was leaked on May 3. Children from all grades at Gold, from third to the twelfth grades, participated in the action. One sign read, “Forced pregnancy is a crime against humanity.” Some of the older kids led their peers with some chants which drew support from cars driving by.

Later that weekend, organizers with the Milwaukee International Women’s Day Coalition, together with nearly 150 community members and supporters, took to the streets of downtown Milwaukee on May 14 in response to a national day of action called for by Planned Parenthood. The event began and ended at Zeidler Union Square.

The march route brought the crowd to the steps of the U.S. Courthouse, home to the Milwaukee office of Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. People gathered around the front of the building with their signs and banners and chanted “Keep abortion safe and legal!” and “What do we want? Choice! When do we want it? Now!” before settling in for some speeches.

The leading organizations within the coalition – the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Students for a Democratic Society, the Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization – all had speakers at the event.

Amada Morales, representing the Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, spoke about the far-reaching family planning programs in Cuba, including nearly 32 weeks of paid maternity leave and abortion on request.

“Who here is pissed off?” asked Nadezdha Young Binter of FRSO Wisconsin, drawing a roar from the assembled crowd. “I sure am. We know the consequences of repealing Roe. We know this is a decision that will ruin and in some cases end the lives of women and trans people capable of pregnancy, people who already face many extra barriers to getting adequate medical care.”

“We know the people hit hardest by this will be from the working class, especially Black, Chicano and indigenous people. And we know this won’t end here – this sets a precedent to destroy rights for LGBT people and other oppressed peoples in this country,” she continued. “But we know what we have to do – we have to stand up and fight back! That’s how working people have always won their rights.”

Many of the people who came to this third mobilization did so looking to find ways to get involved and advance the struggle. It remains to be seen how the fallout from the leak will influence the opinion of the Court, but what is clear is that the masses are ready and willing to take up the fight if the Court holds to this reactionary position.

#MilwaukeeWI #RoeVWade #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of March 6, over a dozen organizations joined together under the banner of the new Milwaukee International Women’s Day Coalition to host a march and rally in commemoration of the working-class holiday. A crowd of more than 50 people turned out to celebrate the occasion.

The Coalition united community, campus and labor organizations under one umbrella with a platform that included points about reproductive rights, trans women’s rights, compensation for domestic laborers, expanded union rights, paid parental leave, and community control of the police.

The action started at Dontre Hamilton (also known as Red Arrow) Park in downtown Milwaukee. The event leaders got things started with a chant of “When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do?” to which those in attendance responded, “Fight back!” The march was a short route that ended at the Milwaukee Federal Building.

Cara McFadden, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UW-Milwaukee, got things started with a speech that highlighted recent attacks against abortion rights and the right for trans women to exist, while acknowledging that the struggle is broader than that.

“It is not only the forces of reaction which we must contest, but also an unjust status quo,” McFadden said. “It is essential that we recognize that the individual is limited, especially in a system which seeks to impede them at every turn. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, their own perspectives and ideas. It’s only when we come together that change can be achieved. Together, the summation of our strengths mitigates our weaknesses.”

Later, Aurelia Ceja from the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated “There’s been proposals around the country to simply hire more women cops. ‘They won’t harass and harm people as much.’ Daunte Wright and many others would beg to differ with that sentiment. When police are harming us in our communities, throwing more police at the problem is the last thing that is going to help.”

She briefly discussed the concept of community control of the police through a civilian police accountability council as a cornerstone of the organizing that the Milwaukee Alliance does before providing a vision of safe communities.

“To me and many others, community safety does not mean hiring 200 new officers as [mayor-elect] Cavalier Johnson is planning to do. Community safety looks like affordable childcare. Community safety looks like funding public health and Planned Parenthood. Community safety looks like well-funded public schools.”

Nadezdha Young-Binter, a rank-and-file trade unionist and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), capped the speakers with a speech that centered working women of all kinds. After a brief comment about the history of International Women’s Day, she left the crowd with a rousing call to action.

“There is a history here that we have to continue on this holiday. It was women demonstrating against war and poverty in Russia over 100 years ago that led to the October Revolution and the end of Czarist rule in that country,” Young-Binter said. “Here in this country that is falling deeper and deeper into endless war and poverty, we have to push forward – in factories and hospitals, in kitchens and offices, schools and shops, in our homes, and in these streets. We can’t stop until all of us are free!”

Other speakers included AFSCME Local 526 President Jaclyn Kelly, Christy Breihan of Peace Action of Wisconsin, Milwaukee-born Dr. Alexandra Skeeter, schooled at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba, and Taleavia Cole and Sarah Wunderlich, fighters for justice for their loved ones and others lost to killer police in Milwaukee and Green Bay.

The expectation is that this will not be just a one-off event for 2022, but instead the first in what will be an annual celebration organized and led by the Milwaukee International Women’s Day Coalition. The Coalition partners for the inaugural action included Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, SDS, AFSCME Locals 526 & 1954, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the Black Rose Initiative, Jewish Voice for Peace, ZAO MKE Church, Students for Justice in Palestine, Niñas Bravas, Leaders of Kenosha, MIDCOAST MKE, the Women’s Resource Center at UWM, and the Progressive Restaurants and Activists of Wisconsin Network.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #MilwaukeeInternationalWomensDayCoalition

Milwaukee, WI – In the middle of a cold winter evening, on December 17, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized a picket with the family of Theodore Malcolm Edgecomb to amplify awareness of Edgecomb’s case, which is set for a jury trial on January 3, 2022.

Edgecomb is being charged with first degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon for events that unfolded on September 22, 2020. When news initially broke out about Edgecomb killing Jason Cleereman, an immigration attorney, the narrative quickly became one of defending Cleereman’s character while depicting Edgecomb as a murderous Black male, being labeled as the “Brady Street Killer” by Milwaukee Police Department in a tweet. However, video evidence surfaced earlier this month demonstrating that Edgecomb acted in self-defense.

Edgecomb’s family organized a press conference on December 8 in light of the recently released video showing Edgecomb riding a bicycle and being driven off the street by Cleerman and his wife. Edgecomb was picking up food for his fiancé and daughter when Cleerman and his wife nearly ran him over, hurling racial slurs at Edgecomb as they swerved on the road. After confronting the couple, Edgecomb began riding his bike home, which is where the newly released video picks up. As Edgecomb is driven off the road by the Cleermans, Jason Cleerman gets out of the vehicle and moves towards Edgecomb, yelling a death threat and a racial slur. As Cleerman approaches Edgecomb and reaches into his pocket, Edgecomb shoots him. The defense attorneys have revealed that Cleerman had a knife in his pocket, evidence which investigators excluded from the initial complaint. Moreover, toxicology reports indicate that Cleerman was also legally drunk that night.

The Milwaukee Alliance has been working directly with Edgecomb’s family to raise awareness around this case. Friday’s picket at the intersection where the incident happened was the first of a weekly series of pickets being organized by the Milwaukee Alliance. Edgecomb’s family and dozens of community members joined the picket shouting chants such as “Self-defense is not a crime” and “Free Theo.” They helped the Milwaukee Alliance distribute a couple hundred flyers to passersby with information about the case and links to GoFundMe pages set up to cover Edgecomb’s legal fees and provide financial support to his children.

When speaking about the video, Sonya Gordon, Edgecomb’s mother, stated, “It was very hurtful because the only thing I could think about is my son. How he must have felt scared. After the video was released, I feel like my son should have been released.”

“I know it’s cold out here, but if this is what it takes for us to bring Theo home to his family, then we’re gonna do it,” said Alan Chavoya, of the Milwaukee Alliance, during the picket.

Wisconsin recently had a national-level court case in regards to self-defense involving Kyle Rittenhouse, a now 18-year-old white man who murdered two people and nearly killed a third. However, self-defense does not apply to Edgecomb, who is a working-class Black man.

It is clear that oppressed nationalities do not receive the same treatment as white supremacist killers like Rittenhouse in the racist judicial system. One of Edgecomb’s cousins managed to get him on the phone while picketing, and he wanted to remind us that there are many people like him behind bars right now. Edgecomb’s case is another one of racist and political repression, but Friday’s picket shows that the Milwaukee Alliance is ready to lead the fight against this repression.

The GoFundMe for Theodore’s family can be found here: https://gofund.me/b72b18cb

You may also donate to Edgecomb’s legal fees here: https://gogetfunding.com/legalfeesforTheodore/

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #TheodoreMalcolmEdgecomb

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of November 6, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) held a rally at Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee. This rally was in protest of the current county budget proposal, which the County Board of Supervisors will vote on the morning of November 8. The current proposal would increase the already bloated budget of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) by 6%. MAARPR’s canvassing efforts over the past six months have revealed that working-class Black and brown people in Milwaukee do not want this budgetary increase.

In addition to protesting against the current budget proposal, this rally was also held in support of Supervisor Ryan Clancy’s amendments to the budget. Instead of giving more money to the MCSO, Clancy is fighting to divest money from them and put it towards areas that will help communities such as parks, mental health services and better job opportunities.

“People from the community, its organizations, individuals, are demanding a divestment from policing and towards the things that we know makes us better,” said Supervisor Clancy during his speech for the event.

The Milwaukee Alliance hopes that with the vote being held Monday morning and the culmination of almost a year's worth of work, the politicians will actually listen to the people and adopt Supervisor Clancy’s proposed amendments. Milwaukee needs resources for the community, not the cops.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

Milwaukee, WI – On October 26, members of Students for a Democratic Society at UW-Milwaukee rallied with the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for Jacob Blake. The Department of Justice announced that they will not be pressing charges against Officer Sheskey – they claimed there was not “sufficient evidence” that Sheskey willfully and maliciously harmed Jacob Blake when he shot him seven times. In response to the Department of Justice's decision, Students for a Democratic Society called a national day of action.

“This is just one more instance of racist public officials protecting racist cops,” says Paris Miller of the Milwaukee Alliance. “We need total community control over the police in order to end police crimes. CPAC will give us that control.”

Speakers during the rally, including Justin Blake, Jacob Blake's uncle, called for justice for Jacob and all victims of police crimes, and named civilian police accountability councils as the solution.

“We want members of our community, because we can trust them to have a vested interest in keeping our community safe,” said Thunder Milroy of Students for a Democratic Society. “Not in the way that these cops 'keep their community safe,' by covering up their crimes, but by holding the criminals responsible for their actions.”

Immediately after the rally, SDS and Milwaukee Alliance led a teach-in on CPAC to bring more awareness about its purpose and how city officials will find every possible loophole in people's demands to refund their community. At the teach-in, attendees strategized to end police crimes and improve their living conditions. Attendees left with a clearer understanding of the importance of community control of the police, and the motivation to fight for it.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MilwaukeeAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #UWMilwaukeeSDS