New Orleans, LA – On June 27 at noon, a crowd rallied against FBI repression in front of the New Orleans Immigration Court. Local activists called the rally in coordination with a National Day of Action for Alejandro Orellana, an immigrant rights activist in East LA. Orellana is facing federal charges for protesting recent ICE raids in Los Angeles.

“El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” chanted activist Toni Jones. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. If we don’t stand with Alejandro against these bogus charges then who will stand up for us?”

Jones is the chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police, a local affiliate of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR). NAARPR, alongside Legalization for All and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, called for solidarity actions across the country.

The crowd also called for an end to the ICE raids and deportations, chanting “Ni una mas deportación” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”

“Alejandro did nothing wrong! It is right to rebel against these ICE and FBI thugs,” said student activist Carson Cruse. “[Alejandro and I] belong to the same union, the Teamsters, and I hope to become a union steward just like Alejandro.”

The crowd called for all the charges against Orellana to be dropped. During the demonstration, the protesters called U.S. Attorney Essayli’s office on speaker phone and addressed the answering machine in unison saying, “We want the charges against Alejandro Orellana dropped!”

The FBI raided Orellana ’s home on June 12 and charged him with conspiracy to commit civil disorder and aiding and abetting civil disorder.

At the end of the rally, speakers encouraged everyone to call the U.S. Attorney’s office directly and to continue the weekly rallies at the immigration court.

#NewOrleansLA #InJusticeSystem #NOCOP #NAARPR #L4A #CSFR

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m., police reform activist Toni Jones and a small crowd of fellow organizers gathered in front of New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court for a press conference.

Jones announced to the media that she and her lawyer are filing an appeal for two charges related to a pro-Palestine protest that occurred over a year before at Tulane University.

“Protesting is not a crime! Free, free, free Palestine!” chanted Jones. “I am not a criminal. I will be appealing this conviction in order to set the record straight: Tulane University is the criminal, Israel is the criminal, the United States government is the criminal.”

Tulane Police initially charged Jones with four misdemeanors. As a result of a prolonged political defense campaign, she was found not guilty of obstructing a public place or resisting arrest. However, she is battling against two convictions of battery and obstructing an investigation.

Solidarity speakers from Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) spoke out in defense of Jones against Tulane University’s repression.

“Despite her arrest, she was successful at uplifting the struggle of the Palestinian people and protecting a student activist from police,” said Toni Mar, speaking on behalf of Freedom Road. Mar, an alumnus of Tulane University, also criticized the university administration. Since Tulane police targeted Jones, the administration has attempted – and failed – to repress over a dozen other student protesters.

“Tulane has shown itself to be a repeat violator of First Amendment rights, Tulane has shown itself be shamelessly invested in genocide, and Tulane has willfully bent its knee to Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion,” stated Mar.

At the end of the press conference, Jones indicated that she does not intend to let her conviction stop her from attending future protests. She stated, “We will not rest until Palestine is free. We will do our best to usher forward the liberation of Palestine, and if we are lucky, we may just as well free ourselves in the process.”

Jones’s next court appearance will be August 12 at 9 a.m. Activists will continue to update supporters on future mobilizations via NOCOP’s Instagram page, @n.o.cop.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #NOCOP #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

New Orleans, LA – New Orleanians hit the streets on Sunday evening, May 25, to honor George Floyd on the five-year angelversary of his murder in 2020 by killer cop Derek Chauvin.

The rally began at City Hall around 5 p.m., demanding an end to Trump’s racist attacks. In particular opposing Trump’s Executive Order 14288 which seeks to strengthen policing, while anti-immigrant “Project Homecoming” puts more police power towards deportations. The demonstration also demanded justice for victims of police crimes, an end to attacks on immigrants, and called for community control of the police.

Founder of Black Lives Matter Grassroots NOLA, Sabrina Foster, spoke on the experience of losing her son to police violence. Alabama’s Pickens County police killed Foster’s son, Glen Foster Jr., in December of 2021. Police claimed Foster Jr died of heart failure while in custody, but an independent autopsy showed signs of strangulation and torture.

Foster said, “When George Floyd died May 25, 2020, I said to myself: ‘That could happen to Glen,’” She continued, recalling the horror of watching Chauvin crush Floyd’s neck. “I thought, “If he can get away with this, what could happen to my son?””

The Foster family will celebrate their late son’s 35th birthday this Saturday, May 31, with a fundraiser to help with legal fees as they continue to fight for justice.

Another speaker, Yareli Andino, a volunteer with Union Migrante, stated, “When George Floyd cried out ‘I can’t breathe’ he wasn’t just speaking for himself, he was representing all of us – people living under constant fear just for existing. Black folks are targeted by police violence every day. Immigrants are afraid to go to work, to drive, to show up for their immigration appointments because ICE agents are waiting for them.”

Organizers emphasized the need to keep the consent decree over the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) in place, a measure of federal oversight that Black residents fought hard for in the years after Katrina. The decree ensures that NOPD does not enter into agreements with ICE agents, which is a temporary relief for immigrants in the city. However, Trump’s Executive Order 14288 leaves the future of this consent decree uncertain. In light of the federal “flip-flopping,” as NOCOP organizer Toni Jones put it, the demand for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) is building steam in New Orleans.

After a march from City Hall to the Federal Building downtown, Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste spoke on behalf of the New Orleans United Front organization. He underlined the need to fight back against Trump’s attacks and tirelessly fight for community control over the NOPD.

Batiste shouted, “We are going to tell Mr. Orange Head and Elon Musk: ‘We ain’t scared!’”

He continued, “We not going to bow down. I’m a Mardi Gras Indian, we say ‘No Humba’. ‘No Humba’ means you don’t bow down and you don’t run away from a fight!” The crowd erupted into cheers.

New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP) initiated the protest alongside a coalition in response to the George Floyd Day of Action called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #NOCOP #GeorgeFloyd

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, May 6, New Orleans supporters packed the court for community activist Toni Jones’ trial in municipal court. Jones is chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police and a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. She was arrested while doing security for a Palestine protest over a year ago.

Of the four charges she faced, Jones was found not guilty of resisting arrest or obstructing a public place. However, the judge found her guilty on charges of battery and obstructing an investigation. The penalty has no jail time, but a $375 fine. Jones and her lawyer plan to appeal the decision.

On March 16, 2024, Jones attended a pro-Palestine protest near Tulane University’s campus that demanded the university end all aid to Israel. That day, Jones stood between student activist Rory MacDonald and arresting Tulane Police Sergeant Vincent Silva, who aimed to pull MacDonald onto campus to detain them. When he failed to intimidate and detain MacDonald, Sergeant Silva arrested Jones and charged her with counts of battery, resisting arrest, obstructing a public place and interfering with an investigation.

The prosecution argued that Jones was violently interrupting a lawful attempt to question MacDonald. Sergeant Silva alleged that Jones used force to break his hold on MacDonald and was obstructing a legal investigation into Rory MacDonald. Throughout questioning, the judge, prosecutors and Sergeant Silva continued to misgender Jones. Video footage showed Jones lightly brushed the officer with her arm.

Jones’s defense attorney Graham Bosworth argued that according to the Louisiana constitution, one has a right to resist unlawful arrest with force. It is also legal to come to the defense of others. Bosworth stated, “There is no evidence of [Jones’s] resistance after [her] arrest, all she said was ‘Free Palestine, free Palestine, free Palestine.’”

Based only on body-cam video and a single testimony, the judge said that it was his opinion that the situation was “calm” before Jones intervened, and that the Tulane Police Department were just carrying out orders. After sentencing, he told Jones, “You have a right to peacefully protest, but if it’s not your fight, leave it alone.”

Supporters then left court and held a rally outside. Jones said to the crowd, “We won’t take anything lying down. Every attack on our movement is a new front of struggle.” Supporters chanted “Resistance is justified when people are occupied!” and “Protesting is not a crime! Free, free Palestine!”

Carson Cruse of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization declared, “We know that Tulane police were the ones that were escalating by trying to detain a leader [Rory MacDonald] of the Tulane protest movement. We know it was Toni who was keeping the people safe.”

Jones closed out the rally by saying, “I’m glad that I fought this through, because so many people had the bravery to fight their charges after me and be proven not guilty – just like I will. If not by the courts, then by history.”

The crowd ended the rally by repeating the chant created by Assata Shakur saying, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #StudentMovement #SDS #NOCOP #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Feature

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, February 1 New Orleanians from diverse communities took the busy downtown streets at rush-hour to voice their anger. The protest was organized by the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP) in response to several executive orders that Donald Trump passed in his first few days as president. Around 100 protesters marched with signs and flags behind a banner reading “Protect LGBTQ+ youth!”

The march featured chants and speakers reflecting the wide range of attacks that Trump has launched against immigrants, trans people and reproductive rights. Some protesters carried the flags of countries like Mexico and Honduras to show their pride and commitment to defending immigrants from Trump’s attacks. Trans speakers repeatedly encouraged solidarity with immigrants facing repression with chants like “We’re here, we’re queer, immigrants are welcome here!”

Protesters first gathered at the Hale-Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans. Streets were crowded with cars and pedestrians as New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl and as Mardi Gras season begins. Speakers from QTCAP and Union Migrante, a grassroots immigrant-rights organization, fired up the crowd to take the busy streets. QTCAP organizer Molly Frayle said, “Trump has been clear and open about his repressive agenda, and we have been angry. Now we must channel our anger and build resistance!”

The crowd marched to the downtown tower that houses ICE’s New Orleans office, chanting “El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido!” Adam Pedescleaux of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police told the protesters, “Trump and Landry are in a marriage to ruin our lives,” adding, “They want to bring slavery back! That is why it is important that we fight for community control of the police.”

The protest then marched on nearby New Orleans City Hall. The area in front of City Hall, including the sidewalk, was blocked off with caution tape for Super Bowl-related renovations. So, protesters took the whole block in order to stop and give final speeches in front of the building, with protest marshals rushing to redirect traffic for safety.

A Students for a Democratic Society member said “As a foreign student, I almost decided not to come out and speak to you today but now is not the time to hide. It is time to fight!” SDS members from three New Orleans universities endorsed the march and supported it by leading chants and providing security.

Trans Income Project (TIP) is a local grassroots relief organization by and for trans people. A TIP speaker emphasized the resilience of the trans community and reminded protesters that they can give and receive direct support from their communities, despite inhumane treatment and targeted attacks from the government.

Lucas Harell, a trans college student and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, delivered a fiery speech. He told the crowd “Right now we stand at a turning point in history; we live in a time where reactionary forces embodied in Donald Trump and his allies seek to drag us backward, to divide us and to erode the very fabric of our collective progress. But we in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization say we will not give up. We will not bow to the forces of greed, hate and oppression.”

Protesters departed from City Hall to march towards Canal Street, the epicenter of downtown New Orleans. As the police realized where the march was heading, they attempted to mislead the protesters and say that Canal Street was “off-limits” for multiple reasons. One officer stood in front of the protest signaling in the direction that the march had come from. The protesters asserted their First Amendment rights and marched directly past the officer to remain on their planned route.

The energy on Canal Street was high as the determined protesters occupied three lanes of traffic. While a few Trump supporting tourists yelled obnoxiously, the march received claps, cheers and raised fists from most of the workers and onlookers they passed. Participants and organizers committed to continue taking the streets in response to Trump’s attacks to show their opposition, their strength and their collective perseverance. Marching under the palm trees and sunset the crowd chanted “Who’s streets? Our streets!”

#NewOrleansLA #LGBTQ #QTCAP #NOCOP #SDS #TIP #FRSO

New Orleans, LA – On January 20, around 100 students, workers and New Orleans community members representing 20 organizations commemorated MLK Day by marching in the streets. They gathered to march against Donald Trump’s agenda on the day of his inauguration.

Throughout the march protesters carried signs against deportations, attacks on abortion rights and many other issues representing the people’s movements. Black protesters led chants from a truck leading the march, followed by the main banner of the coalition that stated, “Unite & fight the racist Trump agenda.” Drummers played along with the crowd’s chants, such as “Say it loud! Say it clear! Immigrants are welcome here!”

The coalition to march on MLK Day/Inauguration Day was initiated by New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP). The event kicked off with a rally at A.L. Davis Park, named for the local civil rights leader who helped to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with Martin Luther King Jr. Toni Jones from NOCOP opened the march, saying, “We’re out here because we are organizations made up of people who decided that they want to stand up and not take oppression lying down.”

Union Migrante, a local immigrant organization, gave one of the first speeches. One member told the crowd, “To hell with the dictator! We will be here fighting back whenever a politician comes along trying to push racist laws against the immigrant community or Black community here in New Orleans!”

After some speeches, demonstrators loudly took the streets, marching on one of New Orleans’ busiest streets, South Claiborne Avenue. The march then turned right at the corner of S. Claiborne and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which features a bust of the civil rights leader on a tall pillar.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard travels through the Black Central City Neighborhood of New Orleans and intersects with Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, named after another civil rights icon of New Orleans. At that intersection sits a sculpture of many hands joined together dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. The march ended there and concluded with speeches from other organizations in the people’s movements.

Jasmine Groves, NOCOP member and daughter of Kim Groves, who was murdered by a member of New Orleans Police Department, gave a powerful speech. She delivered statements by Mona Hardin and Arlene Robertson, the mothers of Ronald Greene and Daviri Robertson. Greene was murdered by Louisiana State Police while handcuffed in 2019, and Robertson was murdered by Jefferson Parish Sheriff officers that same year.

Groves told the crowd, “Our criminal justice system is broken. Why should I have faith in a system that is not for us as a people? We as a people have to come together and realize who has the voice and who has the power. We have had so many great leaders to pave the way. From the Black Panthers to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, even to my mom.”

Other speakers represented LGBTQ and environmental rights organizations, both of which face increased threats in Louisiana because of Governor Jeff Landry’s reactionary agenda. A republican federal government that will strip all environmental protections means that the remaining Louisiana landmass will be delivered to oil-extracting companies on a silver platter.

Speakers from Palestinian Youth Movement and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) spoke about the recent achievement of a ceasefire in Gaza by the Palestinian resistance. They highlighted Trump’s racist views towards Palestinians and uplifted the need to honor martyrs of resistance such as MLK Jr and Tawfic Abdeljabbar, a Palestinian-American student from New Orleans who was killed by the IDF while visiting Palestine in January 2024.

Students for Democratic Society member Juleea Berthelot told the crowd, “Today we gather not just to honor the legacy of MLK Jr but to keep his fight for justice alive, to speak truth to power and to demand that our voices be heard.” Berthelot shared their motivation for participating in the march, saying, “My identity as a Black person, as a student and as someone who’s been arrested for speaking out compels me to fight for a future that honors Martin Luther King’s dream. Not just in words, but in action. That is why we are here today. We will not be silent in the face of a president who is intent on reversing the progress that we fought so hard to make.”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLK #Trump #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #NOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, December 17, community organizations and New Orleanians impacted by police misconduct or police violence united at the Consent Decree Fairness Hearing to demand that Judge Susie Morgan rule against the New Orleans Police Department sustainment plan.

The consent decree is the federal oversight instituted in 2013. That year, the Department of Justice found the NOPD to be practicing unlawful misconduct and unconstitutional policing. Different community groups rallied outside against the motion.

The people came together around five points of unity. These included demanding a transparent and community-led process, an end to conflicts of interest, an independent investigation into officers with a history of misconduct complaints, an end to racist and biased policing, and that the judge rule against “sustainment.” A decision in favor of the “sustainment plan” would mean the beginning of the end of the consent decree, despite NOPD’s ongoing lack of compliance with the federal oversight.

While giving public comment during the hearing, Toni Jones, chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police, spoke against moving to sustainment, declaring, “We need more oversight of NOPD, not less.”

Data from the Office of the Independent Police Monitor reveals that a staggering 90% of “use of force” by NOPD is used against Black people, although they are a mere 56% of the city’s population. Despite cries from the community that this disparity is racist, NOPD pushes the narrative that “disparity is not bias.”

“The NOPD cannot be trusted to hold itself accountable. I humbly ask the court not to yield to political pressure or a false sense of urgency generated by the NOPD or federal monitors to enter sustainment prematurely. The people of New Orleans deserve constitutional policing,” Jones continued.

Nikeysha Gonzalez, a community organizer with Unión Migrante, spoke in opposition to NOPD moving into sustainment. She expressed concern regarding NOPD’s current lack of compliance with the consent decree, stating, “Preemptively moving into sustainment will have a direct harmful impact on all community members of New Orleans.”

Gonzalez also stressed the threat that removing the consent decree poses to immigrant community members, stating, “Currently the consent decree has provisions that prohibit officers from taking law enforcement actions on the basis of actual or perceived immigration status, also preventing collaboration with ICE. And we need to see that continued.” A scenario that would end with a ticket for others – such as a traffic stop – would end up with detainment for an immigrant even if they had not committed any crimes.

Published researcher Kristi Dayemo spoke, representing New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police, breaking down the faulty methodology used by NOPD in an attempt to frame their policing as bias free.

Dayemo stated, “The NOPD is just substituting one disparity test that does not look good for another that makes them look good. A population weighted disparity test assesses the rate a specific demographic is subjugated to officer action compared to the prevalence of that demographic in the population. When conducting a population weighted disparity analysis, results show NOPD targets Black people anywhere from four to 13 times more than white people depending on the specific types of action.”

Dayemo told the court. “For all of the many problems with data collection and methods, not to mention the conflicts of interest and integrity issues with the federal monitoring team, NOCOP and many of our community allies strongly refute the claim that the NOPD is ready for sustainment. We felt it important to challenge these statistical practices because we have repeatedly witnessed representatives from the DOJ, the federal consent decree monitors and NOPD officials use these questionable findings to invalidate and dismiss the concerns and experiences of community members.”

Community organizations will rally outside of the official consent decree hearing, where the judge will make a decision. They will advocate for the judge to rule against sustainment, and they encourage community members to show up to amplify community concerns. The motion hearing, which will decide the fate of the consent decree, will take place on January 8, at 1 p.m. at the Hale Boggs Federal Courthouse.

Endorsing organizations included Union Migrante, New Orleans United Front, Eyes On Surveillance, New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police, Liberate and Unite New Orleans SDS, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Freedom Road Socialist Organizations, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), UNO SDS, and Evolve Louisiana.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #NOCOP #ConsentDecree #Feature

New Orleans, LA – On Thursday, December 12 at noon, the Johnston family held a press conference demanding #JusticeforJrue in front of Orleans Parish Criminal Court. Jaime Johnston, along with her partner and both of her parents, are fighting felony kidnapping charges for trying to keep Jaime’s five-year-old son, Jrue Kenner, safe from sexual abuse. New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police and New Orleans United Front helped to organize the event.

The Johnstons are demanding that their false felony kidnapping charges be dropped. Their trial date will be Monday, December 16, at 2 p.m. at 2700 Tulane Avenue, Section A. The Johnstons urge supporters to pack the court and wear blue in support of young Jrue. They also demand the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and Child Protective Services be held accountable for misconduct and neglect.

“My heart is heavy with disappointment and outrage at the very institutions that are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us – my son, Jrue, being one of them,” Jaime Johnston stated.

During a summer visitation in 2023, Jrue told medical professionals and his mother that he was repeatedly sexually molested by his father. Like any mother would, Jaime went to the police for help. Each time she attempted to report the crime of sexual abuse, the NOPD arrested her. Ultimately, her entire family was arrested and jailed on over $200,000 bond.

Despite Jaime’s pleas, the NOPD’s Special Victims Unit refused to investigate any abuse allegations. One officer, NOPD’s Landon Lasker, even “misplaced” evidence containing several legal documents and recordings relevant to the case. As Jaime spent over four months in jail, NOPD and CPS placed Jrue back in the “care” of his father.

“The actions of the New Orleans Police Department and the Department of Children and Family Services in handling my son’s case are not merely procedural failures; they are egregious injustices that scream for change and accountability,” said Johnston.

Jaime stressed that her experience as an abuse survivor and mother is just one of many. Family court and legal battles often side with abusers, and as a result, innocent children are vulnerable to becoming collateral damage. This is “a systemic flaw that prioritizes bureaucracy and connections over the safety and well-being of children,” she stated.

“No one can feel safe reporting abuse to the NOPD until the Johnstons receive justice and Jrue is reunited with his family,” said Toni Jones, chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police.

Belden Baptiste of New Orleans United Front spoke in support of the Johnston family, saying, “This is a disgrace, and unacceptable.” He rallied the crowd to show up on the trial date saying, “We must support Jaime. December 16. Be here!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #NOCOP #NOUF

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, October 19, about 25 people turned out to a public meeting hosted by New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP). The meeting primarily served as a teach-in and comment drive to involve residents in fighting back against the New Orleans Police Department’s (NOPD) attempt to exit the oversight of a federal consent decree.

The first part of the meeting informed attendees on what is at stake. If a federal judge rules to allow the consent decree to move into sustainment, this would mean the beginning of the end of federal oversight. After two years of a “sustainment period” the consent decree would end, leaving NOPD to oversee itself.

As it stands today, the NOPD is still not in compliance with constitutional policing standards required by the consent decree. The most glaring issues are NOPD’s racist and biased policing; stop, search and arrests; and use of force rates. According to data from the New Orleans Independent Police Monitor, NOPD use of force rates against Black people are higher now than they were in 2013, when the consent decree was implemented.

Speakers from the immigrant rights organization Union Migrante gave personal testimony of NOPD collaboration with ICE, and police failing to communicate with or serve immigrants . “We are very vulnerable because we’re immigrants…we want to have police who will actually protect us. We’re very afraid of actually going to the police. We want to feel safe in the city,” said a speaker from Union Migrante. “We have to keep fighting against the police because we need justice.”

The meeting also exposed a glaring conflict of interest in the consent decree monitoring process: Federal Deputy Monitor David Douglass, who oversees the federal audits of NOPD, professionally employs former NOPD top officials in his nonprofit called Effective Law Enforcement for All.

“Consent decrees are a really big business,” said Eyes on Surveillance speaker Marvin Arnold. Due to his work in New Orleans, Deputy Monitor Douglass recently won a contract worth up to $1.5 million annually to monitor the Minneapolis Police Department’s consent decree. If Douglass helps move the NOPD to sustainment despite the department's failure to meet federal guidelines, he will gain a professional boon of “success” worth millions of dollars to his own enrichment and his own nonprofit’s business.

At the end of the meeting, participants participated in a comment drive, sending public comment to the court and pushing for the NOPD to remain under the consent decree until issues of racist policing and conflicts of interest are resolved. The public has until November 8 to send comments via email to the clerk of court, at clerk@laed.uscourts.gov.

The next opportunity to attend a public meeting hosted by NOCOP and partnering organizations will be Thursday, October 24 at 6 p.m. at Parish Hall, 2533 Columbus Street.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #NOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, October 1, New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP) held a press conference outside of Hale Boggs Federal Building. This is the same site where federal Judge Susie Morgan will decide if the New Orleans Police Department is fit to go into a consent decree “sustainment period,” which would mark the beginning of the end of the federal oversight for police.

NOCOP and endorsing organizations demanded an end to racist and biased policing, an end to corrupt conflicts of interest, for the involvement and implementation of public input, and for Judge Morgan to rule against NOPD sustainment.

“We are dealing with higher rates of force against Black civilians than when this decree was put in place – this disparity is due to NOPD racism, not Black criminality. Racist policing is not sustainable,” said Toni Jones, chair of NOCOP. Jones spoke on the legacy of NOPD’s relationship to the consent decree, which was put in place in 2013 when an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found the department guilty of unconstitutional policing. Jones added, “Over a decade later, we still are plagued with police who prey on the community, corruption and extreme discrimination against Black New Orleanians.”

There are also conflicts of interest within the consent decree monitoring process. Edith Romero, a speaker from Eyes On Surveillance, mentioned said, “When taking a closer look at the officials directly involved in assuring that NOPD is in compliance with the consent decree, it is evident that there’s an extreme conflict of interest at play here. In short, the deputy federal monitor, David Douglass, is in direct violation of the consent decree by employing former NOPD leadership for his consulting company called Effective Law Enforcement For All, or ELEFA.”

Romero continued, “ELEFA is currently working with the city of Minneapolis who are now under a consent decree of their own after George Floyd’s murder. Thus, the success of the NOPD at this time is being used as a selling point for ELEFA to other cities across the country. ELEFA’s success in getting the Minneapolis contractors is directly tied to the claims that the New Orleans consent decree has been successful. How can the Consent Decree be successful when use of force is escalating and targeting our Black community?”

NOCOP intends to rally outside of the next Consent Decree hearing to demand that Judge Susie Morgan rule against the motion to enter into a sustainment period. The organization calls on the people to stand with them.

The date of the next consent decree has not been made public yet, but it will be sometime in the next 60 days. In the meantime, the public is encouraged to submit comments and questions to the court before October 25 via email to Clerk@laed.uscourts.gov or addressed to Clerk of Court, U.S. District Court, EDLA, 500 Poydras St., Room C-151, New Orleans, LA 70130.

The press conference was endorsed by local community organizations Eyes on Surveillance, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel's Ports, Tulane and Loyola University chapters of Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #NOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, September 17, community members showed up at the Joe Brown Park gymnasium in the New Orleans East neighborhood to attend a forum with New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. The Office of the Independent Police Monitor (OIPM) hosted the event in response to public concern over NOPD’s consent decree, as the department pushes to be released from federal oversight.

In the gymnasium, a majority-Black crowd of about 20 people confronted Kirkpatrick on rising trends of racist policing and condemned the department’s move to end the consent decree.

Attendees emphasized NOPD’s criminal history, and that the consent decree was put in place because of the brutalization of Black people after Katrina.

“We are the reason for the consent decree,” stated Edward Parker of New Orleans United Front, talking about Black New Orleanians. He referenced Kirkpatrick’s previous employment as superintendent in Oakland. “You had problems with the Black community, same way you’re gonna have problems with us in this community if you keep shoving [the ending of] the consent decree down our throats.”

The consent decree mandates constitutional, bias-free policing. However, the 2023 annual report from the OIPM showed that 90% of police use-of-force was against Blacks, despite the Black population in New Orleans representing 56% of the city. NOPD use-of-force against Black women rose 54% from 2022’s numbers. This past Mardi Gras 2024, 90% of stop-and-frisk firearm searches targeted Black people. And July’s monthly report from the OIPM reveals more civilian complaints against the NOPD have been filed in 2024 than any year before.

With the future of federal oversight in question, the need for a civilian oversight board was at the front of the public’s mind. However, Kirkpatrick rejected community control, stating she believes civilian oversight boards are “dysfunctional.” The comment stunk of hypocrisy, as NOPD’s dysfunction continues to make headlines: NOPD Officer Leessa Augustine and former Officer Jeffrey Vappie are both currently under separate federal investigations for wire fraud and lying to federal agents, and the city was recently ordered to pay out $1 million in a civil suit for negligence after former Officer Rodney Vicknair molested a minor in 2020.

“I remember New Orleans before the consent decree,” said Toni Jones of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police. “We are still dealing with racist and criminal policing. No policy is going to fundamentally change until we get the community control we need over the NOPD.”

Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick speedily left before all of the public’s comments could be addressed.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #NOCOP

New Orleans, LA – On Friday, September 13, Tulane University encampment arrestees held a press conference outside the Orleans Criminal District Court ahead of their court appearance. They read a resolution signed by over 40 of New Orleans’ community organizations, demanding that charges against pro-Palestine encampment protestors and activist Toni Jones be dropped.

Nearly 30 activists in New Orleans have been arrested since October 2023, facing a litany of trumped-up charges for standing against genocide and in solidarity with Palestinians. The organizations released a statement calling on District Attorney Jason Williams and City Attorney Donesia Turner to take action, denounced Tulane University for “unjustly pursuing these charges” and called on the school to end its witch-hunt against student protestors.

“Currently, we are witnessing Tulane prosecute students academically and criminally, while admitting in negotiation meetings with students that they purposely overcharged us,” said Tulane SDS member and encampment arrestee Vonne Crandle. “We’ve seen Tulane host IDF soldiers, we’ve seen a professor assault a student for demonstrating against companies complicit in the genocide, and we watched as nothing was done to the professor while the student was banned from campus the same weekend,” he went on to say.

Crandle was referring to Tulane professor and ex-CEO of CNN Walter Isaacson’s attack on student Rory Macdonald, as Macdonald disrupted a panel featuring Exxon and Halliburton Labs during New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week in March. Isaacson is also on the board of Halliburton Labs, which is heavily involved in Israel’s chemical industry.

Macdonald, one of the 14 encampment arrestees, spoke outside the courthouse as well, stating, “Since our arrests, I’ve been brought back to court over and over again, I’ve been suspended and kicked off my campus, I’ve had my scholarship threatened by Tulane.”

Macdonald continued, “This is the people versus Tulane University.”

Signatories of the resolution represented a broad array of community leaders from New Orleans, including criminal justice reform, housing justice, faith-based, and labor organizations.

Toni Jones, an organizer with New Orleans Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) and arrestee at an earlier Tulane protest in response to Isaacson’s misconduct, spoke about this solidarity. Jones stated, “When we see someone in danger, and we can help them, we have got to help. It’s not only the right thing to do, but our duty. How could you condemn a fellow man to die without making an effort to help?”

Notably, many of the resolution’s signatories had previously supported D.A. Jason Williams’ election campaign four years ago. Later, inside the kuffiyeh-packed courthouse, prosecutors seemed disorganized as they were confronted by the defendants’ attorneys for not submitting discovery material in time. The D.A.'s office is not only losing public support, but also expending its severely strained capacity to pursue these charges. Arrestees say Tulane University is applying significant pressure to ensure that the protestors be prosecuted. The 14 activists arrested at the encampment last May will face trial on September 20.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #NOCOP #StudentMovement #SDS

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution in solidarity with New Orleans’ pro-Palestine protesters.

WHEREAS, the undersigned organizations stand in complete solidarity with New Orleans’ pro-Palestine protesters, and denounce Tulane University for pursuing unjust charges and tacitly endorsing police brutality against these activists, simply because they protested this institution’s ties with Israel;

WHEREAS, Tulane emeritus board member Walter Isaacson grabbed and shoved Tulane student Rory MacDonald on video at a protest on March 13, without facing repercussions;

WHEREAS, Toni Jones, organizer with New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), was arrested by TUPD on March 16 at a protest for MacDonald’s and other students’ rights to free speech;

WHEREAS, Brenna Byrne, Sruly Heller, Quest Riggs, Serena Sojic-Borne, and three other protesters, were arrested by TUPD on April 29 on the first day of Students for a Democratic Society’s (SDS) peaceful encampment for Gaza, several suffering injuries from police horses or officer misconduct;

WHEREAS, Rory MacDonald, Carson Cruse, Juleea Berthelot, Shreyas Vasudevan, Vonne Crandell and nine other protesters were arrested by Louisiana State Police on May 1, the third day of SDS’s peaceful encampment for Gaza, over one hundred state troopers used tear gas, a BearCat armored vehicle, and rifles aimed at students to arrest fourteen people, including one just passing by for a walk that evening; and

WHEREAS the TUPD targeted and arrested a student days after the encampment ended, unjustly charging them with a felony;

BE IT RESOLVED, the undersigned demand that District Attorney Jason Williams and City Attorney Donesia Turner drop the trumped-up charges against these protesters;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the undersigned call upon the administration of Tulane University to end their witch-hunt of these protesters.

In signing this resolution, our organizations commit to doing everything we can to make this gross injustice known, and to organize a powerful solidarity movement to defend these protesters, who courageously stood against aid for Israel’s genocide.

Voice of the Experienced

Masjid Omar

Jewish Voices for Peace – New Orleans

First Grace Community Alliance

Hagar’s House, shelter

Project Ishmael, immigration law

Louisiana InterFaith for Human Rights

Friends of Sabeel – New Orleans

Palestinian Youth Movement New Orleans

William Quigley, Emeritus Professor of Law, Loyola University

American Federation of Musicians – New Orleans

Starbucks Workers United NOLA

Louisiana National Lawyers’ Guild

Queer Trans Community Action Project

New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police

Sunrise Movement NOLA

Reproductive Justice Action Collective

Harvey Mudd College Dissenters

NOLA Healthcare Workers for Palestine

Southern Solidarity

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports

Muslims for Just Futures – Gulf South

NOLA Musicians for Palestine

Freedom Road Socialist Organization NOLA

Laveau Contraire, drag artist

Students Organizing Against Racism TU

Feminist Alliance of Students at Tulane

Rev. Gregory Manning

Justice and Beyond

Muslim Students Association – Loyola

NOLA Democratic Socialists of America

NOLA Freedom Forum

Miss Anne’s Maypop Herb Shop

LifeCity Impact Management Firm

End Jim Crow Louisiana

SPORTS DRINK

Trans Income Project

Mo Munchies LLC

Fight Covid NOLA

Fred Hampton Free Store

Chicken’s Kitchen

Tulane Students for a Democratic Society

Loyola Students for a Democratic Society

LSU Students for a Democratic Society

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #FreeSpeech #NOCOP

Baton Rouge, LA – On July 28, around 20 community members gathered in a local hair salon to hold a vigil for Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was wrongfully killed by state of Illinois Deputy Sean Grayson. The vigil took place five days after the release of body cam footage by Illinois police. The goal of the event was to link the killing of Sonya Massey to the killing of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police almost exactly eight years ago. Participants called for an end to the ongoing police brutality that plagues Louisiana.

The vigil provided space for attendees to discuss their feelings and reactions to the killing. One attendee felt that deputy Sean Grayson “baited” Massey in order to kill her. Laramie Griffin, an organizer with Evolve, pointed out that the officer who killed Massey had his body camera off and was only recorded because the other deputy had left his turned on. Most of the conversation focused on changes that would be necessary to end the killings.

“What needs to happen is that police are held accountable when they turn the body cameras off,” commented a representative of the Nation of Islam.

Laramie Griffin of Evolve says that his organization’s immediate demands are for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The organization calls for the shutdown of the “brave cave” building, the location of a Baton Rouge Police Department black-site and torture warehouse. Evolve also demands that police agencies no longer be allowed to turn off body-worn cameras at any time during a shift, and for footage to be released to the public within 72 hours of any incident.

Griffin also noted that reforms passed after the killing of Alton Sterling, like Louisiana Act 272, may have saved Massey’s life if they were law in Illinois. This 2017 Louisiana law expanded the grounds for police decertification.

The event was hosted by Victory Over Louisiana Violence (Evolve) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and was well represented by local groups, including Not Your Past Ministry, New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police, the Baton Rouge NAACP, and a local Black gun rights organization all attended.

The vigil ended with a hopeful tone, playing a music video of the song change, dedicated to Sonya by Shreveport musician RayDaYungin.

#BatonRougeLA #SonyaMassey #Evolve #NOCOP #PSL #NotYourPastMinistry #NAACP

New Orleans, LA – On July 15, at least 13 New Orleanian activists will join thousands to march on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. This baker’s dozen is a group of leaders and organizers from Black liberation, labor, student and gender liberation movements.

“We are the phantom that haunts them in their sleep”

The coalition is fresh off of protesting Trump’s fundraiser in a New Orleans gated community near Tulane University. They say they’re ready to follow him to Wisconsin.

“I think it’s important to let the Republicans know that even when they leave their strong base in the South, that we’re gonna chase ‘em down and we’re gonna fight them every step of the way,” said Loyola Students for a Democratic Society organizer Jack Saucier. “We are the phantom that haunts them in their sleep. We’re everywhere that they think that we’re not and we’re on ‘em all the time.”

The city’s progressive movements are growing, but facing backlash from a state government dominated by racists and Christian fundamentalists. In June, Louisiana became the first state to require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms.

“The attacks we face in Louisiana from the far right are part of the Republicans’ bigoted and undemocratic agenda. It’s important for us to fight those attacks at a local level, but that’s not enough,” said Molly Frayle of the Queer-Trans Community Action Project. “By protesting the RNC, we are sending a message to far-right politicians across the country.”

“It’s important that we keep our foot on these politicians’ necks”

As one of his first decisions in office, Governor Jeff Landry ramped up the Louisiana State Police’s presence in the New Orleans area. Their officers brutalized and arrested student protesters at the Tulane-Loyola Popular University for Gaza encampment in May. The Louisiana State Police can bypass the New Orleans Police Department’s consent decree, reversing decades of progress won by the movement for police accountability.

“It’s important that we keep our foot on these politicians’ necks,” said Kia Thomas of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police. “They need to know we will not stand down.”

Abbey Lodwig, a barista, who will speak for Starbucks Workers United at the March on the RNC, states, “The Republicans are fighting to strip decades of labor rights the working class has won.”

Lodwig continued, “We’re excited to march on the RNC and we hope to see many union siblings alongside us!”

Palestine solidarity organizations were among the first to sponsor the march. Endorsers include New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, NOLA Healthcare Workers for Palestine, and NOLA Artists for Palestine.

#NewOrleansLA #NOLA #FreePalestine #NOCOP #NOSHIP #MarchOnTheRNC #Starbucks #SWU #Loyola #LoyolaSDS #LoyNO #SDS

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, June 29, nearly 100 community members gathered in Lafayette Square to show support for Palestine, and to put pressure on local lawmakers to pass a ceasefire resolution.

Leading up to the rally, the city’s local Palestinian coalition hosted cultural and political events from morning to evening. The day started with a cultural exchange and bazaar in Harvey. Bazaar participants then drove in a motorcade to Lafayette Square. At the Square, speakers from many local groups and one politician addressed the crowd. English and Arabic chants, such as “Free, free Palestine,” rang off the walls of the many federal and local government buildings in the area.

“We must only engage with those who want to build power with us, and that’s our primary strategy as a community is building power, before voting,” said a speaker for Palestinian Youth Movement – New Orleans. “This means that we must not think of civic engagement in terms of political maneuvering and convincing politicians to be on our side, but instead it's all part of a broader strategy to build community power,” he continued.

For the last few months, the New Orleans community has been attempting to get local politicians like Troy Carter and members of the New Orleans city council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Organizers want these politicians to also actively support ending all trade and cultural ties with the genocidal state of Israel. But elected officials have refused to implement even a simple demand for a ceasefire resolution.

Protesters believe that building community power will help the over 40,000 Palestinians living in the New Orleans metro area into pressure the local leaders into helping end genocide, or electing new leaders who represent the people’s demands.

Devin Davis, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, led the crowd in chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” He spoke in condemnation of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which funds his opponent.

Organizers also condemned political repression against their efforts.

“Every time the people of this country stand up against the ruling class and its various atrocities, they are met with brutal force,” said Shreyas Vasudevan, a local organizer with NOSHIP and an arrested participant in the student encampment at Tulane University. “We refuse to be intimidated. We will never apologize for standing in solidarity with Palestine, and will fight every bogus charge they lay on us.”

Vasudevan’s comments are a response to a pattern of intimidation and oppression suffered by the community for thinking that the U.S. actively supporting a genocide is wrong. Toni Jones, a local organizer with New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP), was arrested in March for protesting next to Tulane’s campus. That same month, NOCOP member Felix Allen was arrested for giving public comment at the Port of New Orleans board of commissioners monthly meetings in opposition to the Port’s Innovation Embassy with Israel. Multiple students and community members were arrested at the recent encampment on Tulane’s campus for not putting up with the university’s continued financial and cultural ties to Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). These acts of repression will only continue, but they will only act as a glue that will bind the community closer.

The rally was planned as a march from Lafayette Square to City Hall, with Congresswoman Cori Bush – author of the Ceasefire Now Resolution – as one of the speakers. Unfortunately, due to a death in the family, Congresswoman Bush had to postpone the visit.

Lead organizations included Masjid Omar, Palestinian Youth Movement, and AMAANA, a local Palestinian-led care group for people living with disabilities. New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) also helped organize the rally.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #MasjidOmar #PYM #NOSHIP #JVP #NOCOP #FRSO

New Orleans, LA – On June 24, Donald Trump arrived in New Orleans for a fundraising dinner as protesters disrupted the event with a rally. The protest was organized by the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP) and New Orleans for Community Control of the Police (NOCOP). They chanted and demonstrated the opinions of the working-class queer and Black people of New Orleans, with additional speakers in solidarity to the Palestinian liberation movement.

The dinner, hosted by shipyard CEO Donald Bollinger and real estate magnate Joe Canizaro, cost $3300 per ticket for one person, with an additional approximate $22,000 for an opportunity to take photos with Trump. Bollinger and Canizaro are two of the most generous donors to the Republican Party in Louisiana.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was also present at the event, described as a “guest of honor.”

The fundraiser occurred just weeks after Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges, and almost a year after his last New Orleans fundraiser, where protesters forced him to shut down the event early.

The protest began roughly an hour before Trump’s motorcade arrived. Members of the crowd held up signs reading anti-Trump and anti-GOP slogans, such as “Lock Trump up!” and “Stop the racist GOP agenda!” as Palestinian and transgender Pride flags fluttered in the wind above onlookers.

“These people would like to force their ideology of Christian-fundamentalism onto future generations, force their ‘free market capitalism’ – that really means exploiting the working class and continuing racist oppression here in the South,” said Quest Riggs, representing QTCAP. “The legacy of Jim Crow, continuing the legacy of red-lining, continuing the legacy of wealth inequality that still exists in New Orleans today.”

“They want to hold onto that wealth with their bare knuckles, but they know, we know, the youth know, that their kind is a dying breed, theirs is a dying country, theirs is a dying mentality,” Riggs asserted.

“I can’t stand to see our rights taken away. We are people that believe we’re not just tokens, to be sold and given away for free, to be traded, or to be collected like cards in hand by greedy men with wicked ideas, and wicked aims, and self-entitlement. We’re more than that. We’re people – we’re people with rights. All of us,” said Toni Duplechain-Jones, a representative of NOCOP.

“They don’t just take away our rights, they take away our basic standard of living. In this city, Black people make up a majority. In this country, there’s no one who’s worked harder than Black people to build this country. Yet, year after year, our wealth has been going down,” Jones continued. “A recent report of New Orleans stated that white people in New Orleans, in the north, have 16 times the wealth of Black people.”

Speakers of the rally chanted with the crowd, “Donald Trump has got to go!” as counter-protesters attempted to agitate members. The New Orleans Police Department ushered the anti-Trump group away from the public sidewalks of Audubon Place, the gated community in which the fundraiser was held.

The police did not require the counter-protesters to move.

As the presidential motorcade arrived, protesters approached Audubon Place once more, gathering on the neutral ground in front of the gates. Rain began to fall, but it failed to dull the energy of the demonstration as counter-protesters dispersed. Jones declared that rain would not stop them from protesting against oppression, shouting “Rain or shine, you can’t hide – you’re supporting genocide!”

Around 20 minutes after it began to rain, it began to thunder. The organizers only concluded the rally when lightning picked up.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #LGBTQ #RNC #NOCOP #QTCAP #Palestine #Feature

New Orleans, LA – On Friday, May 10, a small crowd gathered in front of the Federal Building downtown to demand justice for Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old Black man killed by Louisiana State Police on May 10, 2019, just outside Monroe, Louisiana. The rally was hosted by New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police (NOCOP).

The action brought together activists and community members to commemorate the five-year angelversary of Ronald Greene, and demanded that killer cops Kory York and Chris Harpin, both Louisiana State troopers, be convicted and sentenced to jail time for their crimes. The crowd shouted, “We want justice, you say how: Convict York and Harpin now!” as speakers from NOCOP recounted the horrific details of Ronald Greene’s murder and the cover-up by State Police that followed.

Shortly after midnight on May 10, 2019, State Trooper Dakota DeMoss attempted to pull Greene over for an unspecified traffic violation. A chase then ensued, ending with Greene pulling over and apologizing, holding his hands in the air. Body cam footage shows Louisiana State police then proceeded to stun-gun Greene, drag him out of his car, arrest him, and mercilessly beat, tase, pepper-spray and drag Greene by his ankles across the asphalt. Ronald Greene died of asphyxiation after troopers left him facedown, coughing up blood, with his hands shackled behind his back.

What followed Greene’s brutal murder was over a year of lies from the Louisiana State Police. “The officers lied to the investigators and Ronald Greene’s family and claimed that he died in a car accident to protect themselves. It wasn’t until over a year later when Ronald’s mother saw that the car had little damage that she knew that there had been a coverup,” said Adam Pedesclaux, a speaker with NOCOP.

Toni Mar, another speaker with NOCOP, connected the case with a larger history of racism, brutality and corruption in the Louisiana State Police. Mar then condemned the new presence of State Police in New Orleans, after a mandate by Governor Jeff Landry brought a permanent “Troop NOLA” to the city in February. “We have enough corrupt police on our hands with the NOPD. We don’t need these racist killer cops brutalizing the Black and working-class people of New Orleans. They have absolutely no oversight, no accountability, and they don’t belong in our city!” said Mar.

The rally concluded with a call-to-action for the crowd to continue following the case. Five years after Greene’s murder, York and Harpin are only two of the six officers involved that are going to trial for criminal charges. Their charges are not for murder, but only for obstruction of justice. Kory York will go to trial on September 23, and Chris Harpin on October 28 in Ouachita, Louisiana.

More information on Ronald Greene’s case and future updates can be found on NOCOP’s Instagram: @n.o.cop

#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #PoliceCrimes m#NOCOP

Baton Rouge, LA – On April 22, over 50 students and community organizers rallied on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol demanding an end to the GOP’s reactionary agenda. The protesters then took to the streets and marched to Governor Jeff Landry’s mansion for a rally. This action served to unite the people against the Republicans and bring the people to the march on the Republican National Convention this summer in Milwaukee.

The demands made during the action included the need for community control of the police, protecting LGBTQ youth, defending DEI programs, legalization for all immigrants, enshrining workers’ rights, and ending U.S. aid to Israel.

Protesters called out the state senate, which was set to vote on SCR 21, a resolution that affirms Louisiana’s undying allegiance to Israel. Chants like “GOP, KKK, IDF they’re all the same!” disturbed legislators taking calls and posing for photo ops on the capitol steps.

At the pre-march rally, student organizers spoke on the struggles they face on campus and how they relate to the legislative session. “You are trying to silence students who are against the funding of a genocide and the funding of an occupation – looking at you, Tulane University. You are scared as a revolution is happening, a revolution where all nations deserve to be free of oppression,” asserted Anthony Franklin, a member of Tulane Students for a Democratic Society.

As the demonstrators marched toward the mansion, organizers chanted, “Not the church, not the state! Trans people decide our fate!” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay. GOP, go away!” energizing the crowd. Once they gathered at Governor Jeff Landry’s mansion, more speakers highlighted the importance of keeping the fight in the streets as legislators attempt to remove the people’s democratic rights.

Ryan Spalt, a member of LSU SDS, stated, “At the beginning of 2023, legislators attempted to pass the ‘trans bathroom bill’ and ‘don’t say gay bill’ both of which didn’t pass because of actions like this one. And here we are, in 2024, seeing the same bills that seek to erase trans people’s existence, and once again, we see LSU administration support this sentiment by shooting down our student government’s trans housing bill!”

Organizations from across the state joined in solidarity for this multifaceted event. Multiple SDS chapters (LSU, Tulane, and Loyola), the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP), Unión Migrante, New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP), and New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Democratic Socialists of America made this action possible. The broad coalition shows the importance of solidarity among struggles and the need to unite against the reactionary Republican agenda.

#BatonRougeLA #NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #PeoplesStruggles #LGBTQ #DEI #GovLandry #SDS #QTCAP #NOCOP #NOSHIP #FRSO #DSA

New Orleans, LA - On April 15, activists and community members in New Orleans gathered in an emergency rally at the Harol Boggs Federal Building to voice their support for Iran’s calculated and warranted retaliation against Israel’s illegal attack on the Iranian embassy and officials in Damascus, Syria. The protesters further highlighted the need to oppose any U.S. military involvement in the region that could result from Iran’s retaliation.

Organized by New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the rally gathered people under the slogans: “When the Middle East is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “We want justice, you say how? Hands off Iran now!”

“We recognize the Israeli attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus for what it was. It was a declaration of war, it was a violation of international law, and it was a desperate bid to drag the U.S. into a wider war with Iran,” said Rory Macdonald from Tulane Students for a Democratic Society.

NOSHIP, Tulane SDS, and Loyola SDS – all represented at this rally – are currently focusing their efforts on divestmentcampaigns aiming to stop all U.S. aid to and U.S. investments in Israel. “Just like we are doing divestment campaigns all across the country right now, we will shut down a U.S. war with Iran,” continued Macdonald.

Carson Cruse, Loyola SDS member echoed: “New SDS was founded in 2006 when a bunch of angry students were demanding our government end its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, we are building a militant student movement demanding divestment from Israel and no war with Iran.

New Orleans Healthcare Workers for Palestine spoke further of the prevalent discontent towards institutions complicit with the ongoing genocide. The organization openly condemned U.S. institutions that expect workers to heal patients in front of them while ignoring the millions who have had every right to healthcare or a healthy environment stripped away.

“With the alarming number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces, it sounds to me like they’re the ones who are acting in self-defense,” said Jasmine Groves from New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP) in reference to Israel’s ridiculous claims that its current campaign of terror against the Palestinian people is no more than so-called self-defense.

“The fact that our legislature in Louisiana is passing a state bill that both voices support for Israel’s genocide and seeks to criminalize anti-Zionist resistance is a prime example that they know they are exposed and vulnerable,” said FRSO member Quest Riggs.

NOSHIP closed out the rally by urging community members topressure local agencies that are complicit with the ongoingoccupation and genocide and continue demanding that the Port of New Orleans stop any current or potential trade with Israeli entities.

“They are scared. They are so scared that they have resorted to arresting us for simply exercising our right to peacefully provide public comments. We will not stand for this political repression. We will continue to show up and demand for the board to stop all shipments to and from Israel, and to drop all charges against Felix Allen,” said a representative of NOSHIP.

Activists and community members are fired up about the upcoming March on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19, which will be marching under the slogan: “Genocide Joe has got to go!”

#NewOrleansLA #NOSHIP #FreePalestine #TulaneSDS #LoyolaSDS #SDS #HandsOffIran #NOCOP