Minneapolis, MN - On October 23, Davis Moturi, a Black Minneapolis resident, was shot outside of his home, allegedly by his white neighbor, John Sawchak. The bullet entered Moturi’s neck, fractured his spine and broke a number of his ribs. There were no witnesses, no one was around to call 911, and no help would arrive for Moturi until his wife, Caroline Moturi, came home and found him on the ground writhing in pain.
Tampa, FL – On July 27, close to 100 members of the community came to a vigil remembering Sonya Massey. Sonya Massey was a Black woman murdered in her home by a police officer.
Aurora, CO – On Saturday, June 1, the family of Jor’dell Richardson, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizers, and community members, hosted a safe summer kickoff at Del Mar Park, in memory of Jor’dell Richardson. Jor’dell was a 14-year-old who was shot and killed by the Aurora Police Department on June 1, 2023.
Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis city government placed a roadblock in front of the ballot measure to establish community control of the police, May 9. Community members say the fight will continue.
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday May 1, Minneapolis 4 Community Control of the Police (M4CCP) held a press conference in the Public Safety Center, the temporary home to city hall offices, to turn in their petitions to put community control of the police on the November ballot.
New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, April 9, around 100 community members filed into the gymnasium of the Treme Recreational Center for a People’s Town Hall on Policing. The town hall meeting, hosted by New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police (NOCOP), interviewed New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. The superintendent is the local equivalent of a chief of police. Community members spent the town hall voicing their anger with police crimes, abuses of power, civil rights violations, and lack of transparency.
Minneapolis, MN – 150 people gathered at Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis on January 4 to listen to an in-depth discussion about the link of the Black liberation struggle and the struggle for liberation in Palestine.
Seattle, WA – Over 20 community members and activists brought together by the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (SAARPR) gathered at City Hall on September 26 to deliver public comment and demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by Seattle Police officer Kevin Dave on January 23, 2023.
Tampa, FL – Tampa community members protested July 4 to demand Justice for Jayland Walker and community control of the police. The protest was organized by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) and was held at Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa.
Chicago, IL – An historic agreement has been reached by forces in the fight against police crimes in Chicago. Legislation for the strongest police accountability system of any city in the country has been negotiated between the coalition of forces led by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), backing the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), and the ordinance backed by the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA).
Tallahassee, FL – On November 19, students from the Tallahassee chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally in front of the Westcott building on the Florida State University campus to demand community and student control of the Florida State University Police Department (FSUPD) and that the charges against the Tally19 be dropped. The students called for an end to political repression and that FSUPD be held accountable to the community and student body they police.
Chicago, IL – During the October 20 meeting of the City Council Public Safety Committee, it was announced that Mayor Lori Lightfoot will introduce her own legislation on ‘civilian police oversight.’ This will mark the absurd yet predictable culmination to Lightfoot’s journey as a ‘police reformer.’ It is absurd because Lightfoot’s legislation on ‘community oversight’ comes on the heels of her thorough rejection of any and all community-based demands for police reform and will undoubtedly include no substantive role for communities whatsoever. Predictable because as a former prosecutor, member and defender of the Chicago Police Department, Lightfoot has never shown any real interest in reforming the police, despite leveraging her role as head of the Police Board for her 2019 mayoral run.
Salt Lake City, UT – Hundreds gathered at the Utah Capitol building Saturday, July 18, to demand community control over the police and demand Governor Gary Herbert call a special session of the legislature to repeal a recent law that bans community control in Utah, known as HB 415.
Chicago, IL – The corporate media has missed what is most important about Chicago’s April 2 elections. Its focus on the uninspiring mayoral contest between Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot helped contribute to the lowest voter turnout ever. Only 29% of registered voters went to the polls.
Chicago, IL – A crowd of 20 rallied outside the office of 30th Ward Alderman Ariel Reboyras on March 20 to condemn his record of covering for police crimes and preventing justice for those victimized by police violence.
Chicago, IL – This week, Chicago saw elections for mayor and city council in which almost all the candidates ran on platforms opposing outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Progressive victories were won in a number of wards across the city, including by Maria Hadden, a young, Black, queer woman who unseated Joe Moore in the far Northside Rogers Park neighborhood. Moore had been a progressive 25 years ago but is now a staunch ally of the mayor and a defender of big money developers. Hadden was recently a board member of Black Youth Project 100, and hers was a major win for progressives in the first round of elections.
Chicago, IL – There are 212 candidates for the 50 seats in the February 19, 2019 Chicago city council elections. Of this total, 38 came out to a December 20 forum in support of an elected civilian police accountability council (CPAC). It’s unusual for so many candidates to be together in one room unless they’re seeking the support of a powerful union or political organization. But this wasn’t an endorsement session. The candidates came to join the movement establish community control over the Chicago Police Department.
