Milwaukee, WI – On Tuesday, November 10, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR) picketed the Milwaukee Police Department outside of District 5. Julissa Velazquez, Outreach Chair of MAARPR, explained the picket was a direct response to the recent wave of police violence in the city.

Last month, officers from District 5 brutally attacked Nicholas Beamon (24), Jada Berry (20) and Kennedy Gray (20), after pulling them over for a license plate violation. Nickky Beamon, Nicholas’ sister, stated, “We need answers. My brother was treated like a criminal for a simple traffic stop. There was no reason for three young adults to be treated this way.”

Besides the excessive force from the department, the issue of vehicular pursuits has once again come to the forefront of the movement for community control of the police. In the past two weeks, five innocent people have been killed or injured as a result of vehicular pursuits initiated by the MPD. Among the deceased was 18-year-old David Hunt, who was a senior at the Milwaukee School of Languages and a leader with Youth Empowered in the Struggle.

Tiffany Stark of MAARPR knows the pain of these tragedies all too well. The father of her daughter passed away due to health complications after being struck by a vehicle that was involved in a police pursuit. Stark said that blood is on the hands of city officials who have failed to take action to restrict vehicular pursuits sooner.

MAARPR spent much of the past year pushing for restrictions on vehicular pursuits. The City Council failed to take action. It will be a long struggle, but as Angela Lang, Executive Director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities stated, “we will not stop fighting until we get justice and community control over law enforcement.”

MAARPR demands that police pursuits be limited to those involving violent offenders, and only when the danger of letting the vehicle go outweighs that of a high-speed pursuit through the city. Additionally, the city must tackle the issue of reckless driving without resorting to more police pursuits. The group also demands the firing of the police officers who brutalized Nicholas, Kennedy, and Jada.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #MAARPR #NAARPR

Colorado Springs, CO – On November 7, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) marched from city hall to the county courthouse in response to a national call to action for Nolan Wells, a Black man found dead in Mississippi. They were joined by a coalition of organizations including the African Student Association, About Face, Colorado Springs Black Connection (CSBC), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

The crowd marched through downtown with signs demanding equal protection and justice for Nolan Wells, chanting “Nolan Wells didn’t drown” and “We won’t stay silent, we won’t save face, open up a federal case!”

Wells went missing on July 4 after he went with three white men to celebrate the holiday on Horn Island, off the coast of Mississippi. The men came back without him, claiming he stayed behind. On July 21, Wells was found on Horn Island, dead and face down with bruises on the back of his head. Despite an autopsy finding no water in his lungs, a grand jury found Wells’ death to be consistent with drowning and refused to indict the men he had gone with. The family of Nolan Wells is now demanding answers.

CSBC member Micah Johnson echoed the family’s demands for transparency and accountability, asking “How many more families must stand before cameras, begging for answers? How many more Black lives must become headlines before they become priorities?”

COSAARPR member Cameron Hollins stated, “This is a coverup.” Hollins said accountability was overdue, stating, “We as people should not stand and allow a government to be unaccountable to these parents.”

FRSO member Brandon Rincon told the crowd, “From the police to Nolan Wells’ so called friends, we say that when you lynch someone you deserve to be put behind bars, and we stand with the broad section of people demanding the opening of a federal investigation”

Rincon continued, “The United States was built on chattel slavery. Until we rid ourselves of the chains of imperialism, cases like Nolan Wells will continue with no real justice to be found.”

Hollins called on the community to demand justice for Nolan Wells, saying “His family’s loss must become the community’s cause.” Hollins noted that what happened to Wells fits a pattern of people looking away and institutions moving slowly that “can happen anywhere, including Colorado Springs.”

Hollins challenged local residents to get involved, to attend city council meetings, and to “demand strong, independent civilian oversight of the Colorado Springs Police Department—with real authority to review investigations, compel transparency, and hold the process accountable.”

As the group marched back from the courthouse, people joined off the street and took up signs. The march arrived at city hall with more people than when it had left, all demanding justice for Nolan Wells. The action closed as people chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “This racist system can go to hell! Justice for Nolan Wells!”

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #COSAARPR #NolanWells

New Orleans, LA – On November 10, about 50 people gathered outside Orleans Parish Magistrate Court to demand justice for Erica Gabriel. Gabriel, a 54-year-old Black woman, was murdered by Shira Northcutt on October 29 around 2 a.m. in the parking lot of the Brothers gas station on Elysian Fields Avenue. Northcutt, a 44-year-old white woman, ran her over twice, killing her.

Protestors held signs outside the court that read “DA Jason Williams: Charge Shira Northcutt with Murder” and “Justice for Erica ‘Easy’ Gabriel”.

“We demand justice. [Northcutt] killed my sister, she should be in jail,” said Brandon Gabriel, Erica’s brother.

As reported by WVUE, while Gabriel was using an ATM machine at the gas station, Northcutt stole her purse. Gabriel confronted Northcutt who brought the bag in her car. She put her hands on the hood demanding her things back. Northcutt then accelerated her vehicle, ran over Gabriel, and reversed her car to run her over again as she was trapped underneath.

“We’ve known Erica our whole lives. She has a beautiful spirit. To know that her life was taken for something so petty, it hurts,” said Artesa Stevens, a friend of Gabriel, as she was waiting in the courthouse.

So far, Northcutt has only been charged with a hit-and-run. Protestors emphasized that this under-charging is yet another example of the blatant racial bias inherent to the American “justice” system. Had their roles been reversed, Gabriel would certainly have been charged with murder. Gabriel’s family and friends, joined by the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR), demanded that Northcutt be charged to the fullest extent with second-degree murder.

“We want this system to hold Shira Northcutt accountable. We the people are out here, we’re the taxpayers, we will be fighting till we get Erica’s family justice,” shouted Shanta Scott, the mother of Jace Lee Scott and a member of NOAARPR.

“I am tired of demanding justice for my people and my community, but I’m going to stand here because it's my duty to. We’ve got to tear down this racist system. Black people should be in control of our own justice,” said Miu Sims of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

After the magistrate hearing, the case is now under the review of District Attorney Jason Williams, where he can add and upgrade the charges. To keep up the pressure, NOAARPR will be holding a phone zap on November 11 to call the DA’s office and demand murder charges. If the office is closed on Veteran’s Day, the organization stated it would leave messages and call again on Thursday November 12.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NOAARPR

Cass Green of TNT highlighted the life of Walter Wallace and the impact he had on those around him, including his family, friends and other loved ones.

PAARPR member Olujimi Alade then spoke about Aaron Rainey and how his murder connects to Walter Wallace's. Olujimi finished his speech with a call for all members of the community to unite in order to fight for justice and to support the families.

Nikki Grant and Julia Lyon from TNT spoke to the necessity of alternatives to police interaction for people experiencing mental health crisis, such as mobile response teams. Tonya Kersey, the mother of Aaron Rainey, gave an impassioned plea for justice for her son and for District Attorney Larry Krasner to try the two police officers for murder. Her resiliency served as an inspiration for all who attended.

The vigil ended with Pastor Chris Kimminez from Healing Communities praying for the families off all victims of police crimes to find renewed strength and for the memory of all the victims to live on forever. The vigil is an important part of the joint campaign organized by PAARPR and TNT to get cops out of mental health.

R.I.P Walter Wallace Jr., Aaron Rainey, Victoria Lee, Jamir Cave, Joseph Smithers and all other victims of police crimes.

Justice for all victims of police crimes!

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #InJusticeSystem #PAARPR #NAARPR #KillerCops

Tumwater, WA – Members of the Tacoma Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a press conference outside the Washington State Office of Independent Investigation (WA OII) on Friday, October 23, to urge the WA OII to investigate the death of Ronald Amir Harris.

TacAARPR members delivered a petition with over with over 450 signatures to the office, as well as new evidence obtained by Ronald Amir Harris’s family.

“The county didn't do an investigation that produced really any type of evidence that could conclusively concur with a suicide,” said Christian Tullar. “And that's why petitioning the state is so important here.”

Ronald Harris was found dead in his Pierce County jail cell before his trial on May 2, 2022. The county’s sheriff’s office ruled it a suicide, but refused to release key evidence to Ronald’s father, Ray Charles Harris. Concerned community members wrote in over 60 letters to the WA OII urging them to open an investigation into this death. When TacAARPR members met with WA OII on Oct 8, the office would not take up the investigation unless Ronald’s family and community were able to provide new evidence.

“My son did not commit suicide,” stated Ray Harris, “My son told me three days before his death, he said, Dad, if something happens to me, I did not kill myself.”

The petition’s two main demands were for Pierce County to release key evidence to Ronald Harris’s family, and for WA OII to do a full, transparent investigation into the death. The first demand was met earlier this week, when Harris’s family obtained new evidence by appealing directly to the county medical examiner’s office. This came after almost a year of denials by the sheriff’s office and the family’s FOIA requests. According to documents available on the TacAARPR website, the toxicology report, autopsy report and autopsy photos were never entered as evidence in the original suicide investigation.

“The WA OII gets 14 million tax dollars a year to investigate deaths like Ronald’s, yet the onus is put on us to find new evidence,” said TacAARPR member Moon Gosserand. “And when we do present new evidence, they have the power to just dismiss it, like they’ve done on other cases. But we won’t let them dismiss Ronald’s case without a fight!”

Gosserand was referring to the cases of Jason Hale and Andrea Churna, where new evidence, including new video and testimony, was dismissed by the WA OII. Since forming in 2021, the WA OII has never completed a “prior investigation.” According to their website, all eight existing prior investigation cases were either denied, passed to another body, or still in progress. TacAARPR members affirmed that despite this track record, they would continue the community investigation to obtain even more new evidence.

“One of the pieces of evidence that really worried us was in what’s called a CAD log,” Tullar continued, referring to the computer-aided dispatch log, which was released to TacAARPR via a FOIA request earlier this month. “In the CAD log we had seen the term hanging, and, when you're Black in America, especially when you're a Black man, the term hanging has a very particular racialized connotation. It instantly makes us think of the type of political and racial repression against Black people. And Pierce County has a long history of oppression and neglect and violence and brutality against Black men and Black people and people who are in the prison and jail system here.”

“My son's going to get justice,” Ray Harris re-stated. TacAARPR and the Harris family confirmed they will not back down until a full, transparent investigation has been completed.

#TacomaWA #WA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR

Dallas, TX – On October 14, organizers with the Dallas chapter of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (NAARPR Dallas) spoke at Dallas City Hall to call for the city council to move forward a resolution denouncing the crimes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanding for an independent investigation into ICE violence.

Lili Delgado, an organizer with NAARPR Dallas, said at the open mic period, “Dallas City Council has a responsibility towards its residents, be they documented or undocumented. We demand the city of Dallas issue an official statement denouncing ICE shootings and killings and also pledges to use all its available powers to investigate directly or fund an independent investigation in the event of an ICE shooting or killing here in Dallas.”

Delgado continued, “This is about actions and not just words and we have to ensure that there are independent investigations into these shootings; it is our duty to our community to ensure there is justice for the actual events.”

ICE has shot at least 24 people since last year, including Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was killed by ICE in Houston earlier this year, and Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was shot and is being held captive by ICE in Austin.

#DallasTX #TX #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerCops #KillerICE

Milwaukee, WI – On October 22, 50 people gathered at the King Center on Milwaukee’s Northside to mark Stolen Lives Day to uplift the memories of loved ones whose lives have been stolen by police crimes.

The Cole, Sharpe, Anderson, Thomas, Robinson-Scarborough, and Lawhorn families were present as were members of Milwaukee’s Palestinian community. All these families have unjustly lost their sons and daughters to police murders and negligence. Brian Verdin, one of the original founders of the Milwaukee Alliance, gave a moving account of the dozens of families the Alliance has struggled alongside for justice over the years.

Milwaukee poets Lea V, Mario “The Poet” and Jonah Denae offered up poems that celebrated the lives lost, made space for community anger, and uplifted the importance of the struggle for justice. Denae received a standing ovation for her poem that indicted the entire system for its violence against Black men.

Taleavia Cole, the sister of Alvin Cole, who was murdered by killer cop Joseph Mensah, stated, “No punishment can bring our loved ones back, and no words can undo the devastation violence leaves behind… the conversation cannot end with just justice. We need accountability, we need transparency, we need action.”

Families needed space to grieve, but they were also angry and ready to fight back. Indictments and convictions for killer cops are a start for these families, but they plan to keep fighting until they get the whole system changed.

Cole continued, “At the end of the day we cannot fight this alone, we need more grassroots organizations like the Milwaukee Alliance, we need more alliance.”

For the last three years, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has hosted Milwaukee’s Stolen Lives Day.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #NAARPR #MAARPR #KillerCops

New Orleans, LA – This October 24 at 11 a.m., the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will hold a march against police brutality. The march will begin in front of the Federal Building downtown at 500 Poydras Street.

Demands include, “Jail killer cops! Stop police cover-ups! End prison torture!” Families impacted by police crimes will be highlighted in the program to demand justice for their murdered and incarcerated loved ones.

The injustice system has consistently shown that it does not care about Black lives. Over the last few months, Black Americans have seen unsolved lynchings, the police cover-up Nolan Wells murder, and the police murder one-year-old Kohen Wiley with no consequences. 

The New Orleans Alliance is demanding justice for Nolan Wells, Kohen Wiley, Jace Lee Scott, and all Black lives taken by police killings or covered up by police. They urge all who believe in justice to attend and join the fight for Black lives alongside the families leading the way.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #NOAARPR #KohenWiley

New York, NY – Over 60 community members and activists rallied outside of the Brooklyn Central Court for over 14 hours after the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) in the early morning hours of October 20. They were released at 12:20 a.m. the next day.

The crowd initially gathered at 9:30 a.m. and continued to rally until midnight, with their numbers growing stronger over time. Members of the crowd chanted, “Free Jamie Kowalski! Free Daniel Koh!” and demanded the immediate processing and release of the two arrested activists.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested from his home at 5:30 a.m. on October 20; an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested, also from his home. Both activists have been charged with misdemeanors of stalking and harassment, which was not made clear to either of them at the time of their arrest.

Speaking outside the courthouse, Shivani Ishwar, NYAAPRR chair, said, “We have been out here all day demanding the release of our friends, and proving that the NYPD's attempts to scare us will not work! We will get these bogus charges dropped, and this will only make us fight that much harder for justice for Eudes Pierre!”

NYAARPR members, including Kowalski and Koh, have been picketing in front of the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn for several months, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre, a young Haitian man murdered by Conrado Abreu-Gerez and Peter Lan in December 2021.

On September 19, NYAARPR held a speakout and posted notices in Sunset Park, near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment, warning his neighbors that a killer cop lived nearby. After NYAARPR’s monthly picket at the 71st Precinct on September 24, Koh, Kowalski, and a third activist from the New York Alliance were followed and stopped by the police, although no summons was issued at that time. Two days before the arrest, on October 18, the New York Alliance again posted flyers near Abreu-Gerez’s apartment. This is what the organizers believe is the real cause of the arrests.

At the courthouse, the supporters of the two activists included a broad front of progressive organizations such as Brooklyn Against War, We the People, UFT MORE Caucus, NYU Students for a Democratic Society, BAYAN NE, JUPI, International League of Peoples Struggle NE, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, friends, community members, and the family members of Eudes Pierre.

Things got heated around 7:45 p.m., after ten hours on the street, as the NYPD tried to intimidate protesters outside the court building, but it didn’t work. The police tried to say that the protest was “slowing things down” in the court building. The protesters stood their ground, shouting “speed it up” and called their bluff. The police then forced protesters to the other side of the street, threatened arrest and erected barriers around the building as the crowd chanted “Cowards!” Protesters from across the street only grew louder and were heard for blocks around.

Michela Martinazzi, member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization Central Committee, said, “The NYPD has a bloated $11 billion budget and cares more about protecting their killer cops than keeping the community safe. Daniel and Jamie are heroes amongst the people; they're fighting for true community control and justice for Eudes Pierre and his family. However, no matter how much the NYPD tries to intimidate our friends, we will be here to fight back!”

Zaara Ahmed from NYU Students for a Democratic Society said, “As students, we know we need to be part of community struggles, and an attack on one is an attack on all. Meaning, when any one of our community members, of our activists, our organizers, is under attack we all need to show up, show out, and fight back. These were bullshit charges put on people trying to shed light on a murderer in the NYPD, and we’re not going to stop until we see Daniel and Jamie free.”

Both Kowalski and Koh were finally released at 12:20 a.m. on October 21. Addressing the crowd of their supporters, Koh said, “These charges are bogus. They know they don't have shit, and they're only doing this because they feel pressured and feel like they want to get away with shit, and we’re not going to let that happen!”

While Kowalski and Koh have been released, the fight for justice continues as organizers will mount a hearty defense campaign to get the charges dropped.

NYAARPR plans to continue to protest the 71st Precinct and fight for justice for Eudes Pierre. The next picket is scheduled for October 29 at 6 p.m., and they are calling on all progressive-minded people and allies to show up and show that NYPD intimidation will not get in the way of their fight for justice.

#NewYorkNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #NYAARPR #NAARPR #feature

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARAPR).

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office has declared the police murder of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley “justified.” This ruling is outrageous and shameful, and The National Alliance condemns it in the strongest terms. By clearing the Senatobia PD officer Hunter Foster who fired into a fleeing vehicle after seeing the child, the state signals that no victim is too young or innocent to escape deadly racist policing.

The ruling defies the truth. On June 14, officers from Senatobia PD and Tate County SO chased and fired into a vehicle carrying Kohen, his mother, and his aunt, who was injured. They knew a baby was inside. The only video shows the car driving away. The independent autopsy found shots were fired into the side, not the front, proving the vehicle was not driving toward officers. Officer Hunter Foster also faced prior misconduct allegations: a 2019 federal lawsuit accusing him of exaggerating a threat in a Waffle House parking lot confrontation in which he lied and said a vehicle tried to strike another officer, settled confidentially in 2022, and a 2022 DeSoto County traffic stop excessive force lawsuit was dismissed this March. 

This outcome fits Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s track record of defending Jim Crow-era disenfranchisement and protecting killer cops. It continues Mississippi’s blood-soaked history of racial terror. The National Alliance does not accept this “justification” and will not allow Kohen Wiley’s story to be buried. All officers involved must be charged and convicted, and the corrupt system that protects them must face justice.

Justice for Kohen Wiley! Jail Killer Cops! Community Control of Police Now!

#InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR #Statement #KohenWiley

Brooklyn, NY – In the early morning of Tuesday, October 20, the NYPD arrested two organizers with the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in their homes in Brooklyn.

Jamie Kowalski was arrested at 5:30 a.m. and, an hour later, Daniel Koh was arrested from his home. As of right now, charges or reasons for their arrests have not been disclosed by the NYPD.

However, organizers with the New York Alliance have an idea of why the arrests happened. Shivani Ishwar, NYAARPR chairperson, said, “The NYPD is trying to intimidate our activists, who have done nothing more than fight for justice alongside our organization and the family of Eudes Pierre. But justice will not be silenced! We will continue to fight against NYPD repression, and against the brutal violence that continues to plague Black and brown communities across the city. Free Daniel and Jamie! Justice for Eudes Pierre!”

The New York Alliance has been holding monthly pickets outside of the 71st Precinct, where killer cop Conrado Abreu-Gerez works, demanding justice for Eudes Pierre.

On September 19, the New York Alliance posted notices and held a speak-out near where Abreu-Gerez lives to warn his neighbors of his involvement in the murder of Eudes Pierre.

September 24 was the most recent monthly picket outside of the 71st Precinct. After the picket, three New York Alliance organizers, including Kowalski and Koh, were approached by officers of the 71st Precinct. The officers took their IDs and talked about potential violations of littering and amplified sound, but no summons was issued.

On October 18, organizers put up new flyers near the officer’s home.

Organizers with the New York Alliance believe that the most recent flyering was what spurred the arrests.

Michela Martinazzi, a Central Committee member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, commented, “The NYPD is the largest, most violent gang in the city. They don’t like to be pressured, and the New York Alliance is the one pressuring them. Kowalski, Koh and the members of the New York Alliance have done nothing wrong. They are brave for standing up to the NYPD!”

NYAARPR will continue to host its monthly picket outside the 71st Precinct. The next is on Thursday, October 29 at 6 p.m. It is more important than ever that many progressive-minded people show up to demand justice for Eudes Pierre and to show the NYPD that organizers will not be intimidated!

The New York Alliance is hosting a call-in and will be holding a jail support rally. Please review their social media pages for the most up-to date information.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NYAARPR #PoliticalRepression #KillerCops #Feature

Tacoma, WA – On September 28, 30 people held a vigil for those killed by Tacoma police. This vigil was held in response to a recent killing on September 27. Tacoma police have not released the identity of the man they killed. Attendees were concerned that this would become another cover-up, so they demanded the release of the bodycam footage and officers' accountability if unnecessary force was used.

The event was hosted by the Tacoma Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TacAARPR). At the beginning of the event, members of the community spoke about other police killings around the area. Jem Trumbly stated, “this is part of a pattern that we know very well. The police kill someone. The investigations into the killing are inadequate. The facts are covered up. The evidence goes missing. Trials drag on for years, and justice is never served.”

Many people in attendance carried signs demanding an end to police killings and accountability for police violence. While information about the most recent killing is still not released, people are worried that whatever evidence is released will be in Tacoma PD’s best interest. Another speaker, Ray Harris, told a similar story, about when his son, Ronald Amir Harris, was murdered in his jail cell before his trial. Ronald’s father was not given access to any of the evidence surrounding Ronald’s murder. Tacoma PD claimed that Ronald’s death was a “suicide.”

During the vigil, Harris told the crowd, “If you want change, you gotta make it happen. I lost my son. But I got no fear. I got none. I got nothing to lose, but I got a lot to gain. I want to make sure what they done to my boy, they do it to no one else, ever again!” Ray continued to speak about how difficult it was to get the evidence that Tacoma PD used in their suicide claims. The true source of Ronald’s death remains hidden from his closest family.

The TacAARPR is helping to build a public pressure campaign to open an investigation into Ronald Harris’s death. You can sign the petition to demand an open investigation into Ronald’s death here: tinyurl.com/justiceforronald

#TacomaWA #WA #InjusticeSystem #PoliceKillings #NAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, September 28, about a dozen people packed the municipal court for activist Toni Jones of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Jones is facing trumped-up misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and disturbing city council. She was arrested on March 30 during a city council meeting where Shanta Scott and supporters gave public comment on corrupt Sargeant Victor Gant Jr of the New Orleans Police Department.

Before Jones’s court hearing, the crowd gathered in front of the building with a loud speaker to chant and give speeches. They held signs reading “Stop NOPD corruption” and “Justice for Jace Lee Scott.”

“From our perspective, the person who disturbed the peace is Victor Gant Jr of the NOPD. He’s a crooked cop who steals justice from grieving families. The people who disturbed the city council meeting are the group of police officers who surrounded and tried to intimidate a mother fighting for justice,” said Toni Mar of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“It’s a shame how this system is treating people like us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. “They attack us, but they should be attacking the New Orleans Police Department. They should be attacking every officer that was sitting in the police station over there while the corruption was going on. My child was murdered. This has to stop, from the DA’s office all the way down to the municipal court! Why attack us, and not attack them?” said Scott.

Inside, a city attorney filed for a continuance on the case, citing the need to subpoena more witnesses and a missing police report. Jones will appear before the court again for trial on November 24, the day Jace Lee Scott was murdered by Andrew Gant in 2019.

“On November 24, we are going to come out strong to demand justice for Jace on the date of his angelversary. We have to show these officers that they can’t bully us, we are standing our ground,” said Mar.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InjusticeSystem #JaceLeeScott #ToniJones #PolitialRepression #NAARPR #KillerCop #VictorGant

Oakland, CA – On Tuesday, September 22, around 30 community members rallied in front of the attorney general’s offices to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Jalani Lovett, who died in LA Men’s Central Jail.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Lovett was arrested in 2019 and died in 2021, under highly suspicious circumstances, after being held in solitary confinement at the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail. He was under custody of the LA Sheriff’s Department, which has been linked to the deaths of many other inmates. Though his body showed signs of severe physical trauma, LASD labeled his death as a drug overdose, despite him having no access to drugs while in solitary confinement.

In the beginning of this month, the Department of Justice launched a probe into the jail to investigate its concerning conditions and inmate deaths. 29 have died in custody so far this year.

Terry Lovett, Jalani’s mother, has been fighting for a proper investigation into her son’s death for five years. She has repeatedly reached out to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, asking him to take action, since the LASD refuses to investigate itself.

“This is a fight that I’m not gonna ever stop, cuz I'm not gonna ever get Jalani back. Too many birthdays is gonna pass and he’s not gonna be sitting there. Too many Thanksgivings are gonna pass and he’s not gonna be coming in the door, going in my pots, ‘Mom what you cooking?’” stated Terry Lovett. Despite his campaign promises to step up investigation of in-custody deaths, Rob Bonta has refused to take any action on Jalani Lovett’s case.

Barbara Doss, mother of the late Dujuan Armstrong, also spoke at the rally, saying, “We went to Sacramento to get some things done, and he made all kinds of promises. I done rode up in this office several times, he done made offers, ‘He’s gonna do this, he’s gonna do that’ for the families.’ Rob Banta is a liar.”

Dujuan Armstrong was killed in custody at Santa Rita jail as officers attempted to restrain him during a mental health crisis, in what was supposed to be a weekend stay. Doss added that officials also tried to point the finger at drug use as a contributing factor to Armstrong’s death, saying, “They said he died from an overdose, apparently all our children are dying of overdoses.”

Romaine Charite with the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the emcee of the rally, said, “The sheriffs harbor racist syndicates who perform initiation rituals of torture and murder of Black and Latino men and brand themselves with tattoos to identify themselves. When the FBI tried to investigate this in 2011, the sheriffs kidnapped the discovered informant for 18 days. These sheriff gangs must be destroyed and the jail closed through civilian power over the police, not county special interests.”

Terry Lovett is supported by a coalition of police-accountability organizations, families impacted by police violence, and concerned community members that support her, organizing to protest Rob Bonta’s lack of action. The rally was supported by Kathryn Wade, the mother of Malad Baldwin; Addie Kitchen, grandmother of Steven Taylor; Cat Brooks, the founder of the Anti-Police Terror Project, and Emily Turnbull, a retired ILWU Local 10 member.

#OaklandCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #Jail #OAARPR #NAARPR

Dallas, TX – 400 people took to the streets of Dallas on September 10 to protest the Republican Party’s midterm convention and demonstrate opposition to the Trump agenda. Organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda (DATA) Coalition, the protest brought together workers, community activists, socialists, immigrant-rights organizers and others who marched to bring their opposition to the Republican convention directly to the streets surrounding the American Airlines Center.

The action began at Pike Park. Demonstrators marched toward the convention. Hundreds of protesters participated in the march, which made its way toward the security perimeter surrounding the convention.

Riot police and mounted units were deployed as the protesters approached the convention center. Despite the police presence and attempts to limit the march’s movement, protesters reached the security checkpoint and held speeches within sight and sound of the convention. The crowd responded enthusiastically, chanting and cheering as speakers addressed the demonstrators.

The police presence intensified as right-wing counter-protesters confronted people participating in the march.

Two protesters were arrested during the action. They were attempting to keep right-wing counter-protesters away from the main crowd when police moved in, tackled the two to the ground and arrested them.

The arrests did not stop the demonstration. Protesters continued marching and maintained the energy of the action as they approached the convention.

Jake Holtzman of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “It was inspiring to see hundreds march against the Trump agenda. Even in the face of harassment from the cops and a few counter-protesters, everyone kept the energy high and marched within sight and sound of the convention. There was clearly a great degree of unity among the people against our common enemy: Trump and monopoly capitalism.”

Toni Jones of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) stated, “I’m marching with the over 20 cities in our National Alliance Against Racist And Political Repression fighting for community control of the police. I’m marching with all of you who did what you needed to be here today, and I’m marching with men like my friend Darrin Robinson, who can’t be here because they are being tortured while serving unjust sentences. And all of us, we are going to make sure the Trump agenda, ‘SAVE America Act’ racism never gets passed, and the GOP gets dumped in the trash heap of history they so desperately worship!”

The September 10 action was the first major public demonstration organized under the banner of Dallas Against the Trump Agenda. The coalition formed around the Republican Party’s decision to hold its midterm national convention in Dallas, but its organizers have emphasized that the coalition is intended to be more than a one-day protest.

DATA is working to establish a continuing center of organizing in Dallas against the Trump agenda — bringing together people involved in labor, immigrant rights, racial justice, community organizing and other struggles.

The next task is to build on the momentum that has already been established. DATA is organizing in Dallas. The fight against the Trump agenda continues.

#DallasTX #TX #Trump #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrantRights #FRSO #NAARPR #DATA #OppressedNationalities #Feature

Brooklyn, NY — On Thursday, August 27, activists led a protest in front of the 71st Precinct of the NYPD to demand, “Justice for Eudes Pierre!” Undeterred by rain, community members stood outside the precinct responsible for Pierre’s murder and chanted, “NYPD kills on patrol! How do we stop them? Community control!”

Speakers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) explained the details of Pierre’s death and the suffering that has continued to this day. In December of 2021, Eudes Pierre experienced a mental health crisis and called 911. The NYPD officers who responded to his call from the 71st Precinct brutally murdered him. Since then, no action has been taken against the police. New York’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) found that the officers acted within NYPD guidelines, and the state Attorney General Letitia James declined to pursue any charges against the officers.

NYAARPR spokesperson Daniel Koh shared details, “134 cops work at this precinct. 79 of them have allegations of misconduct and brutality. That means three of every five cops have abused their authority and hurt the people in this neighborhood. That means if anyone dials 911 in this neighborhood, they’re likely to get a crooked cop.”

This includes Officer Conrado Abreu-Gerez, one of Eudes Pierre’s killers, who has multiple allegations from before and after Pierre’s murder.

The New York Alliance also fights for community control of the police, a system that would give people the democratic power to determine how their communities are policed. Jamie Kowalski of the NYAARPR said, “We know that if our communities come together and we combine our power, we are stronger than the billionaires and their racist attack dogs in the NYPD! Compared to the power of the people, the pigs are nothing!”

Together with the family of Eudes Pierre, the New York Alliance will continue holding monthly protests at the 71st Precinct on the last Thursday of each month. The next protest will be Thursday, September 24.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #KillerCops #EudesPierre #NYAARPR #NAARPR

Oakland, CA – On Friday, August 14, around 20 community members rallied at a street corner in downtown Oakland to protest another man being killed by Oakland Police Department (OPD). Jose Santos Castillo Ortega, a 43-year-old Latino man, was shot and killed by officers last month after a call by California Highway Patrol, which had pursued him from a homeless community. Very few details of the incident were revealed to the public until body camera footage was uploaded to the public records website.

The protest, called by the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, was joined by POOR Magazine, Black Alliance for Peace, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Community Service Organization. Some protesters held picker signs with the words “FIght against police brutality.”

Rickie Cleere of the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said, “Video and audio footage show Castillo clearly in mental distress almost the entire time as multiple officers aimed guns and tasers while they walked him down through Oakland streets, with him yelling ‘leave me alone’ and ‘I'm not doing nothing.’”

Cleere continued, “Through organizing and action can we move toward a future in which the police do not get away with murdering our community members. A future in which the people have a direct say over who polices them and how they are policed. This is a future with actual police accountability through community control, and the time to build that future is now!”

Noah Teller, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “These officers were amateurish and completely unprofessional. They antagonized a man who was posing no threat to anyone. Shame! Living in peace in a highway median, what is the crime? Who is he harming?”

The crowd formed a march contingent towards OPD headquarters while chanting “Justice for Jose Castillo! No more cops killing our people!” Protesters marched down several blocks to the police station, where they continued to chant and demand accountability and for the names of the officers involved in the shooting, before marching back.

The street corner where community members gathered is affectionately called Oscar Grant Plaza, after the man who was shot and killed by Bay Area Rapid Transit police in 2009 at Oakland’s Fruitvale station.

#OaklandCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #KillerCop #JoseCastillo #NAARPR

New Orleans, LA – On Aug 11, Shanta Scott met with the office of Mayor Helena Moreno to demand justice for her son, Jace Lee Scott. Jace was killed in 2019 by the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr., who now serves on the mayor’s security team. Scott maintains that police led a sham probe to cover up her son’s murder. A dozen protesters joined her outside of City Hall in support.

They chanted, “Victor Gant Jr. what do you say? What protocol did you break today?!” and “How do you spell accountability? F – I – R – E, G – A – N – T!”

Shanta Scott told protesters, “Seems like they have people in high places, I’m going in there to bring them down a little bit.”

After kicking off the rally, Shanta Scott went into City Hall. She was joined by Toni Mar of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The two met with the mayor’s chief of staff, Kevin Ferguson.

Scott demanded that Victor Gant Jr. be fired. She showed Ferguson audio recordings of Gant's son, Andrew Gant, being interrogated for Jace Lee Scott’s killing. The audio revealed NOPD officer Victor Gant Jr. clearly present at his son’s own interrogation. Audio and body camera footage also showed Andrew’s mother and uncle entering the interrogation room. Andrew Gant’s mother can be heard saying, “You’re going to be home by tonight” and that she would call the judge overseeing the case.

“When Andrew killed Jace, he got to have his family come and comfort him. But where’s my comfort?” Shanta Scott asked Ferguson.

On Nov 24, 2019, Andrew Gant shot Jace Lee Scott in the neck at the Southern University of New Orleans campus. Scott bled to death. That night, Andrew Gant fled the scene and called his father Victor Gant Jr. of the NOPD. Gant told his son to put his clothes in a bag as evidence and drove him to the 3rd district police station.

Despite Andrew Gant being depicted with gloves and a cell phone on campus surveillance tape, these items were not found in evidence. Homicide detective Rob Barrere, a close colleague of Victor Gant Jr., led the interrogation of Victor Gant and Andrew Gant. Both lasted less than ten minutes. NOPD developed a narrative that Jace and Andrew were both “play-fighting with guns.” No evidence was ever submitted confirming that Jace Lee Scott possessed a gun. Andrew Gant was charged with “negligent homicide” and “obstruction of justice.” He was released on an exceptionally low $12,500 bail. He was later convicted and sentenced to no prison time.

In his meeting with Shanta Scott and Toni Mar, Ferguson said that he would reach out to Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison. He said that he would make contact with Harrison in the next week to learn more about the investigation.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeMovement #NOAARPR #NAARPR

Brooklyn, NY – After the murder of Corey Ruiz by police in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, July 22, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression called a National Week of Action.

In New York, the New York Alliance held their fifth monthly protest at the 71st Precinct on Thursday, July 30, uniting the calls for justice for Eudes Pierre, another Black man killed by police brutality, and Corey Ruiz.

Earlier that day, the New York Alliance had also organized a call-in to demand that one of Eudes Pierre’s murderers, NYPD Officer Conrado Abreu-Gerez, be immediately fired. Hundreds of calls from around the country jammed the phone line. The officers who answered grew increasingly upset, berating callers and claiming that Abreu-Gerez no longer worked at the 71st Precinct. Eventually, they stopped taking calls altogether, effectively shutting down the line.

Also present at the speakout were community members and the family and loved ones of Eudes Pierre. Speeches and chants connected Corey Ruiz’s murder to the murders of Eudes Pierre in 2021 as well as the murder of Óscar Granados Colindres by state and local police in Wappingers Falls, New York on June 27. For Eudes Pierre and Corey Ruiz, the police attempted to dehumanize and criminalize the people they murdered. For Eudes Pierre and Óscar Colindres, 911 sent police instead of healthcare workers.

In all three cases, police escalated to lethal force and have faced no accountability. Sheina Banatte, Eudes Pierre’s cousin and the managing director of advocacy for the Justice for Eudes Pierre Coalition, said, “This is what the NYPD does. They turn a blind eye when officers assault, brutalize, and murder us.” Chapters of the National Alliance work with families who fight similar battles against a system that protects killer cops.

Hannah Healy from the New York Alliance explained the goal of community control of the police as a path to justice. Healy said, “We’ve actually seen community control of the police work before…they drove out the KKK and protected their right to vote against violent counter-revolutionaries! We can achieve this again to serve and protect ourselves.”

Unlike the current toothless CCRB, a Civilian Police Accountability Council would have full control over police budget, staffing, and discipline. CPAC would empower impacted family members to fire and prosecute killer cops.

The New York Alliance will continue to protest the 71st Precinct on the last Thursday of every month. Next month, the protest will take place on August 27th. They will continue to fight until Eudes Pierre’s killers are fired and prosecuted, police are removed from mental health response, and the people win community control of the police.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #NYAARPR

Dallas, TX — Members of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression Dallas spent this past weekend, July 24-25, honoring the life and mourning the death of Santos Rodriguez, the 12-year-old Mexican American boy murdered by Dallas police officer Darrell Cain on July 24, 1973. More than five decades later, his case remains a flashpoint in the fight against police crimes in Dallas, and a reminder that the struggle for the memory of, and justice for, Santos and his family continue.

Who was Santos Rodriguez?

In the early morning hours of July 24, 1973, Dallas police officers Darrell Cain and Roy Arnold responded to a report of an $8 burglary at a Fina gas station in Little Mexico, a Mexican American barrio near downtown Dallas. Acting on a hunch, the officers went to the home of the elderly, largely non-English-speaking foster grandfather of brothers David, 13, and Santos, 12.

The boys were pulled from bed in their pajamas, handcuffed and driven to the gas station for interrogation. While Santos sat handcuffed in the front seat, Officer Cain put his revolver to the boy's head in a game of “Russian roulette,” demanding a confession. Santos's last words were that he was telling the truth. Cain pulled the trigger a second time and killed him instantly, in front of his brother. Evidence later revealed Santos and his brother had no connection to the burglary.

Cain was indicted for murder, but a judge set his bond at a mere $5000. Outrage in the Chicano and Black communities of Dallas boiled over on July 28, 1973, when more than 1000 people marched from Kennedy Plaza to City Hall, torching police cars and smashing windows as police cracked down.

Cain was ultimately convicted of murder with malice but served only two-and-a-half years of a five-year sentence. It would take until 2021, 48 years later, for the Dallas Police Department to formally apologize to Santos's mother, Bessie Rodriguez. Killer cop Darrel Cain ultimately escaped justice and lived out his life quietly until 2019. There was no mention of the murder in his obituary.

July 24: Angelversary and vigil

On Friday, NAARPR Dallas members hosted an Angelversary commemoration for Santos Rodriguez at Pike Park, where a small statue of him sits, bringing together community members to remember his life and to reaffirm the ongoing fight of victims of police crimes still demanding justice. The gathering placed Rodriguez's murder within the broader history of police violence against Mexican Americans in Dallas and across the country, drawing a direct line from 1973 to the police killings communities continue to organize against today.

July 25: Gravesite visit

On Saturday, several NAARPR Dallas members traveled to Santos Rodriguez's gravesite to lay flowers and pay their respects to his memory, to his family, and to the decades-long fight for justice that his family carried on.

Xavi Velasquez, chair of NAARPR Dallas said of the weekend's events, “We attended several events for Santos this weekend, and a common question was, 'What do we do about his murder?' I had the opportunity to talk about community control of the police to many people this weekend, and most people wanted to know more. People want change and are looking for practical and people-powered solutions. This weekend's events solidified to me the need for community control of the police here in Dallas, not just for modern victims of police violence but to hold DPD accountable for police violence that is deep in Dallas history.”

#DallasTX #TX #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #NAARPR