Chicago, IL – A prominent leader of the movement against police crimes, Frank Chapman, of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, condemned the March 27 decision by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to not prosecute the Baton Rouge, Louisiana cops who murdered Alton Sterling in July 2016.

Chapman stated, “Ever since Ferguson, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and state law enforcement have been teaming up to make sure that cops are not prosecuted for killing Black people. Like Alton Sterling's family, we were disappointed but not surprised. The DOJ typically could not justify Sterling's killing, so they used ‘reasonable doubt’ to avoid prosecuting the perpetrators. This is unacceptable. This is why we must have community control of the police.”

#ChicagoIL #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #AltonSterling

Por la Comisión Conjunta de Nacionalidades, Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad

El gran escritor Afroamericano Langston Hughes escribió en el famoso poema Harlem:

¿Qué pasa de un sueño diferido? ¿Se marchita como una pasa en el sol? ¿O se encona como una llaga - y entonces corre? ¿Apesta como carne pútrida? ¿O endurece y se vuelve dulce - como un postre con jarabe? Tal vez solo se hunda como una carga pesada. ¿O explota?

El jueves 7 de julio, ese sueño aplazado de Langston explotó en Dallas, Texas, cuando un francotirador realizó una emboscada contra la policía de Dallas, matando a 12 personas y a 5 oficiales.

La ira que dio paso a este tiroteo se estuvo acumulando por años, o más bien por generaciones, mientras los Afroamericanos eran linchados por racista del KKK y policías asesinos. Apenas unos días antes, dos Afroamericanos más fueron tiroteados y asesinados por oficiales de la policía. EL primero de ellos fue Alton Sterling, de Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asesinado mientras dos policías blancos lo pisoteaban, y el segundo, Philando Castile de Minnesota, a quien le dispararon sentado en su carro acompañado por su novia e hija.

La policía continúa la práctica de encubrir los hechos confiscando videos privados de seguridad. Incluso los pocos oficiales que son sometidos a la justicia son exonerados, como ocurrió con los oficiales de Baltimore involucrados en la muerte de Freddie Gray. El encubrimiento se extiende e incluye a fiscales y alcaldes, como en el caso del asesinato de Laquan McDonald en Chicago.

Sin embargo, entender de donde proviene esa ira no significa estar de acuerdo con la acción.

El asesinato continuo de Afroamericanos, el encubrimiento y la injustica del sistema judicial demuestra que el mismo sistema tiene la culpa. Solo una revolución puede acabar con la opresión que sufren los Afroamericanos y otras nacionalidades oprimidas, incluyendo Chicanos, Latinos, Asiáticos, Árabes-americanos, e Indígenas.

No nos referimos a la “revolución política” electoral de Bernie Sanders, sino más bien estamos hablando de la organización masiva del pueblo en la calle exigiendo un cambio. El Movimiento de Derechos Civiles y el Movimiento de Liberación Negra de las décadas de 1950 y 1960, no fueron el resultado de algunos individuos. La derrota de las leyes de segregación conocidas en el Sur de los EE.UU. como Jim Crow, y de la segregación legal que perduraba en el norte del país, fue el resultado de la lucha de millones de Afroamericanos y sus simpatizantes por una sociedad más justa. Desde las protestas en los comedores de Woolworth, hasta los bloqueos de calle, el Movimiento de Derechos Civiles combinó la protesta de masas con una desobediencia civil sumamente militante.

Hoy en día, el movimiento Black Lives Matter continúa el legado del Movimiento de Derechos Civiles y del Movimiento de Liberación Negra. Las protestas de masas junto a nuevas formas de desobediencia civil, con consignas como “Shut it Down”, han sacudido al sistema a tal punto que representantes electos se han visto obligados a admitir el factor de la motivación racial, teniendo incluso que enjuiciar algunos de los oficiales asesinos. Pero todavía falta mucho más por hacer. Los oficiales asesinos deben ser condenados y encarcelados, y no pueden permanecer libres después de haber cometido un crimen. La policía debe estar bajo control comunitario, no ser supervisadas por los llamados “comités de revisión policial”, establecidos por los mismos políticos, ya que estos carecen de autoridad competente y solo sirven para encubrir los crímenes policiales.

Las redes sociales son una muy buena manera para hacer llamados a la acción. Pero una protesta exitosa necesita oradores y un programa para educar, inspirar e unificar a las personas en la acción. Las protestas exitosas necesitan un plan de acción, seguridad para lidiar con aquellos quieran interrumpir la protesta, asistencia legal si se planea desobediencia civil, entre otras cosas, las cuales solo se pueden proveer si existen coordinadores activos en el área. Un exitoso movimiento de masas necesita estar organizado por organizaciones combativas y de base, con raíces en la clase trabajadora y basándose en el papel protagónico de la comunidad.

Nuestras raíces como organización provienen de los movimientos de masas de las décadas de 1960 y 1970. Activistas jóvenes universitarios y de comunidades de nacionalidades oprimidas (Afroamericanos, Asiáticos, Chicanos y Latinos) se comprometieron con la lucha. Nuestro recorrido ha sido largo y arduo, lleno de lecciones acumuladas en el camino. No obstante, continuamos comprometidos orgullosamente con la lucha, e invitamos a todos los indignados por la opresión racista del gobierno a que conviertan la ira en acción: comprometiéndose con la organización política, incorporarse a la clase trabajadora, estudiar el marxismo-leninismo como ciencia revolucionaria, y unirse a la construcción de un partido revolucionario que luche por el socialismo.

Comisión Conjunta de Nacionalidades, Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad.

(Joint Nationality Commission, Freedom Road Organization)

#UnitedStates #OppressedNationalities #PoliceBrutality #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #Socialism #PhilandoCastile #AltonSterling

Statement by the Joint Nationalities Commission, Freedom Road Socialist Organization

The great African American writer Langston Hughes penned the famous poem Harlem:

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

On Thursday, July 7 the dream deferred exploded in Dallas, Texas when a sniper ambushed Dallas police, shooting 12 people and killing five police.

The anger that led to this shooting was building for years if not generations, as African Americans have been lynched by KKK and murdered by police. Just days before, two more African Americans were shot and killed by police. Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with two white police officers pinning him down and Philando Castile in Minnesota, who was shot and killed in his car in front of his girlfriend and her daughter.

The police continued their practice of cover-up by seizing private security camera video. Even the few police who do get charged are getting off, as in the case of the Baltimore police who were involved in the death of Freddie Gray. The cover-up extends to district attorneys and mayors, as in the case of Chicago’s Laquan McDonald.

But understanding the anger does not mean agreeing with the action.

The continued killing of Black people, the cover-ups and the injustice of the courts shows that the whole system is at fault. Nothing less than a revolution can end the oppression of African Americans and other oppressed nationalities including Chicanos, Mexicanos, and Latinos, Asian and Arab Americans and indigenous peoples.

We are not talking about Bernie Sanders’ political revolution through the ballot box. We are talking about organizing the masses of people into the streets to demand change. The Civil Rights/Black Liberation movement of the 1950s and 1960s was not a result of a few individuals, or even small groups of people. The overthrow of Jim Crow segregation in the South and of legal segregation throughout the country was a result of the struggle of millions upon millions of African Americans and their supporters who fought for equality. From the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in to blocking the streets, the Civil Rights movement combined mass protests with militant civil disobedience.

Today’s movement for Black lives is standing on the shoulders of the Civil Rights and Black Liberation movement. Mass protests along with new forms of civil disobedience with the slogan of “Shut it down!” have shaken the system to the point where elected officials are forced to admit that race is a factor and even put killer cops on trial. But more, much more, remains to be done. Killer cops need to be convicted and jailed, not set free. Police need to be under community control, not overseen by ‘police review boards’ chosen by the politicians and without enforcement authority are but another way to cover up police crimes.

Social media is one good way to put out a call for action. But successful protests need speakers and a program to educate, inspire, and unite people for action. Successful protests need a plan of action, security to deal with those who would disrupt the protest, legal aid, especially if civil disobedience is planned, and much more, which can only be provided with organizers with ‘boots on the ground.’ A successful mass movement needs to be organized, with militant, grassroots organizations based in the working class and rooted in the community playing an important role.

Our roots as an organization go back to the mass movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Young activists from campuses and oppressed nationality (African American, Asian American and Chicano/Latino) communities committed themselves to the struggle. Our path has been long and tortuous, with many lessons learned along the way. But we are still standing proud, and invite all those whose anger has been fanned by the racist oppression of the government to turn their anger into action: to commit themselves to political organizing, to take working class jobs, to study the science of revolution, Marxism-Leninism, and to join us in building a revolutionary party to fight for socialism.

Joint Nationality Commission, Freedom Road Socialist Organization

#UnitedStates #OppressedNationalities #PoliceBrutality #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #Socialism #PhilandoCastile #AltonSterling

Milwaukee, WI – Over 400 people showed up to Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park at 4 p.m., July 11 in response to the recent murders of Black men by police. Organized and led by the Coalition for Justice, protesters marched through the streets of downtown Milwaukee. They paused at various locations to send a clear message to Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) and the city: “Black lives matter!”

Many of the chants were led by Nate Hamilton, brother of Dontre Hamilton who was shot 14 times by police while resting in a park in April 2014. The first stop on the march was the federal courthouse. Protesters linked arms and formed a circle as Hamilton spoke. Protesters then marched to the District 1 police station and paused there.

Maria Hamilton spoke at the rally demanding justice for her son. They called out District Attorney John Chisholm for not indicting the officer who killed Dontre Hamilton. Craig Stingley, the father of Corey Stingley, also demanded justice for his son who was killed by three white vigilantes in December 2012. Also present were family members of Jay Anderson who was recently killed in his car by Wauwatosa police on June 23 of this year.

Demonstrators took to the streets once again and passed the Milwaukee County Jail, the county courthouse, and the federal building, returning finally to Red Arrow Park.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Antiracism #PhilandoCastile #AltonSterling