Santa Ana, CA – About 25 people gathered on the afternoon of May 3, at Community Service Organization Orange County’s (CSO OC) May Day teach-in in downtown Santa Ana. Steph Dorantes introduced the event: “We are excited to have you here together for International Workers Day so we can strengthen our understanding of how we are impacted by police in our communities and how we are impacted by immigration status and what we can do to fight back against repression.”

The attendees then broke into two groups, one covering topics on immigration and the other covering topics on police accountability.

Police Accountability workshop

The Police Accountability workshop kicked off with a history of the working class and police. CSO member Michelle Omar spoke on the Haymarket incident that occurred during the working-class fight for an eight-hour workday. Omar stated, “This event is still relevant today because it has become a symbol of resistance for workers around the world to fight for better working conditions, and the right to organize.”

David Pulido then talked about the history of Chicano oppression, stating, ”The United States seized Mexican lands, prohibited their independent mining, segregated their children in schools, and suppressed their language, forcing them and millions of other immigrants from Mexico to work as laborers in mines, fields, and factories.”

Pulido followed by discussing notable examples of police oppression of Chicanos such as the El Paso Salt Wars, the lynching of Francisco Torres, the Bloody Christmas attacks, and the repression of the Chicano Moratorium.

Perla Gonzalez Pioquinto then gave a detailed account of Chicanos murdered by Orange County police dating back to 2017 and concluded by saying, “zero officers were proven guilty in the eyes of the court.”

The workshop ended with a strong call to action by Erika Armenta, partner of Noe Rodriguez, who was killed by the Santa Ana Police Department on December 1, 2024. She urged people to support her demands for justice along with CSO’s fight for community control of the police.

Armenta stated, “Even though my daughters won’t grow up with their father, I am seeking justice for them and their future and for these officers to be held accountable for their actions. Officers should be more like medics; they should do their best to preserve life instead of trying to end them constantly.” Armenta has still not received a full police report or video from Santa Ana PD even though they are required to release that within 45 days.

Immigration workshop

Diana Terreros of CSO OC’s immigration committee started off the workshop with a brief history of immigration rights in the U.S.

Terreros talked about the Alien and Sedition Acts, stating, “This act criminalized criticizing the government, and the Alien Enemies Act is being used by Trump currently to deport people to a Salvadoran prison notorious for human-rights abuses.” She also covered local immigration policies including a 1996 Anaheim City Council decision that allowed authorities to screen the immigration status of detainees held in city jail, the first program of its kind in California.

Terreros noted immigration policy has changed depending on the needs of the bosses. Immigrants are allowed to flow in when companies need cheap labor and immigrants are repressed, deported and scapegoated when there are economic downturns.

Dorantes and Terreros then presented on the current situation under Trump, including the status of Santa Ana as a sanctuary city, deportations happening in retaliation to activism such as Mahmoud Khalil and Jeanette Vizguerra, and raids that have happened around the U.S. Terreros pointed to a slide of protests that have occurred across the country in response, stating “although things seem bleak, it's important to know that we are not letting this administration get away with this. In every place that deportations and raids are happening, the people are standing up and fighting back!”

The immigration committee concluded the workshop with a know-your-rights skit, showing attendees how to watch ICE and how to respond if ICE comes to their door.

The Police Accountability Committee of CSO is building a campaign to fight for an immediate release of officer names and video when police killings happen. The CSO Immigration Committee continues to do community surveying and barrio walks to hand out “Know Your Rights” information. Contact CSO OC to get involved. IG @ cso.oc Email: orangecountycso@gmail.com Phone: 714-367-6350.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSO #CPAC

In the weeks and months preceding this violent event, Moturi did everything someone in his position would be expected to do in a society where policing is put forward as the one and only intervention for people in crisis. Moturi repeatedly sought intervention from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). In an online fundraiser from September 2023, his wife Caroline Moturi stated, “Despite multiple calls to the police for help, we were consistently informed nothing could be done. At one point, an officer who responded to our distress told us to ‘just move out.’” Moturi’s repeated calls to 911 for assistance resulted in no meaningful actions to prevent this completely avoidable and unprovoked shooting.

During his press conference on Friday, October 25, Chief Brian O’Hara of MPD appeared disdainful toward not only the victim, but also the Minneapolis city council members who sent O’Hara a letter denouncing MPD’s inaction under his leadership. Chief O’Hara behaved exactly how we would expect a cop with a bloated budget and no accountability to behave. O’Hara pulled out the usual weak excuse that MPD is “understaffed,” he chastised the few council members who had the audacity to voice their criticism of him, and he even placed blame on Moturi, stating, “the situation escalated in part by actions that were precipitated by the victim.” And what was it that Moturi did to invite the bullet which entered his neck? He chose to prune the trees in his front yard on an October afternoon.

After the shooting that was caught on camera, Sawchak remained free in the community while Moturi was confined to a hospital bed recovering from his injuries. It was not until October 27 - four days after the shooting, when MPD’s inaction became the subject of community outrage and national media attention - that O’Hara executed the warrant for Sawchak’s arrest. Neighbors reported that MPD deployed a massive police presence, blared loudspeakers and were keeping neighbors awake until at least 2:30 a.m. on a work night.

After four days of sitting comfortably in his home, Sawchak was detained on second-degree attempted murder, along with a host of other charges. O’Hara and mainstream media outlets are reporting that Sawchak has a history of mental health issues. This situation was another example that when police are dealing with white men, they somehow find the capacity to show a level of patience, restraint and empathy that is rarely extended to Black, brown and indigenous people.

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice remembers the names of Tekle Sundberg, Jamar Clark, Travis Jordan, Amir Locke, George Floyd and so many others killed by MPD. Indeed, O’Hara’s victim-blaming attitude toward Moturi, his disregard for public safety, and MPD's ineptitude demonstrate why real police accountability is needed in this city.

MPD presents itself as the only deterrent to community violence, but even with a yearly budget ask of over $230 millionall they offer is excuses for their failures. This situation illustrates very clearly that police do not make our neighborhoods safer, and MPD’s inability to prevent violent incidents like this is not a result of politics or “the current rhetoric around policing,” as O’Hara wants us to believe. We are under no illusions; police do not serve community interests, so we need to focus our energies toward organizing for political power over MPD. We need a robust mechanism for holding MPD and Chief O’Hara accountable when their actions or inactions lead to community members being harmed, maimed or killed.

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) seeks to establish a Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC) to be that robust new governing body that holds power over the police. Elected CPAC commissioners would be mandated to review all police misconduct investigations. CPAC would have sweeping powers over MPD and could get rid of officers anywhere in the chain of command, including the chief of police, and muchmore.

Visit the TCC4J website to learn more about our initiative, get involved, and find us in the community to sign our petition in-person, or look for @TCC4J.

#MinneapolisMN #TCC4J #CPAC #DavisMoturi

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.

Since then, the officer was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, but that is not enough, as the murder of Black folks at the hands of the police is an all too common occurrence. As the community honored her life with a table of flowers and sending candles down river, they also called for a change in how policing is handled.

The Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TAARPR), Andrew Joseph Foundation, Poor Minority Justice Association (PMJA), and more came out. They called for protection of the Citizens Review Board (CRB) and bringing it further by establishing a Community Police Accountability Council for more oversight of the police.

The Tampa Police Department is pushing the city council to dissolve the CRB due to a House Bill 601, a law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis preventing cities from establishing civilian oversight of the police. House Bill 601 is a law in a long list of laws passed by DeSantis to repress protesters and freedom of speech in the wake of the George Floyd uprising.

Gareth Dawkins, a member of TAARPR at the vigil, stated, “The police will always push back against any form of accountability, which is why institutions like the CRB must be protected.”

Another demand pushed by the community was to bring an end to qualified immunity. This fight is personal to the Andrew Joseph Foundation and the Joseph family, as qualified immunity protects from being charged the officer whose actions resulted in the death of their son, Andrew Joseph III.

With these demands the Tampa community shows that they will not stand for police murders in Tampa or anywhere across the country.

#TampaFL #TAARPR #GeorgeFloydRebellion #GeorgeFloyd #SonyaMassey #PMJA #CRB #CPAC #PoliceCrimes

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.

The Richardson family has been fighting for justice in the case of Jor’dell’s death for over a year. APD claimed Richardson had a gun at the time of the incident leading up to his death, which was later shown to be false. Family, friends and teachers who spoke highly of Richardson.

The memorial event started with speeches in remembrance of Jor’dell, followed by music, food, drinks, and activities such as games and drawing for kids. Speeches from DACAC members and State Representative Tim Hernandez and other activities honored Jor’dell’s memory and helped build community.

DACAC members brought attention to their campaign of putting policing power in the hands of the community and the connections that has with tragedies such as Jor’dell’s death.

“Police violence doesn't happen in a vacuum: it is a direct result of training, systemic racism, misogyny and killology that is drilled into police recruits, encouraging escalation with the ever available option of violence as long as an officer claims that they felt in danger. How can we change such a rotten system? By taking control,” said Michael Watson, an organizer with DACAC.

DACAC is pushing a campaign for a Community Police Accountability Council (CPAC), where powers such as managing policing budgets, the ability to hire and fire police officers, and direct investigation of police misconduct will come down to community-elected board members.

Rep. Hernandez extended himself to the community and the family, stating, “I know this has got to be a really difficult time for the family, so I hope you guys will be able to hold each other close. I’m thankful to be here with everybody, I hope that everybody here can take some time today to just reflect on what it means to be in community with each other and why that's deeply important for young people to feel.”

The memorial ended with a sendoff, where the community and family released many of the blue balloons that decorated the event. Community and family gathered in a big circle and shouted Jor’dell’s name as they released their balloons, keeping Jor’dell’s name and family close in their hearts.

#AuroraCO #DenverCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBritality #KillerCops #CPAC #DACAC

Three people were killed, and four others were injured, including a firefighter, on Thursday night in South Minneapolis. Most politicians and mainstream media have focused their statements and headlines on the death of MPD officer Jamal Mitchell. All loss of life is tragic, and of course it can be acknowledged that Officer Mitchell was killed while responding to an emergency in the community without diminishing the value of the other lives taken or harmed that day.

The life of a police officer is not more important than the lives of civilians. According to police, the incident began after they received a call that two civilians had been shot in an apartment. It was not until officers had been shot at that the neighborhood was flooded with an overwhelming police response. Countless MPD squad cars, SWAT, helicopters, state troopers, county sheriffs and police from other agencies raced to the scene.

When community members experience violence and crime, we don’t see these kinds of responses. Instead, we are told that police are understaffed and unable to deliver public safety services. While real crime rates have been falling for years, we are repeatedly told police need more funding, more personnel and more resources. Yesterday’s events show that when an incident is a priority for police, they can mobilize limitless resources.

While neighbors were still barred by police from returning to their homes, Mayor Frey held a press conference with the governor, leaders from the MPD and the BCA and all of the City Council. Their focus was on the tragic death of officer Mitchell, but they had only a few words for the civilians killed and injured that day, or the neighbors traumatized by witnessing the violent events.

It’s been more than 20 years since an MPD officer was shot and killed on duty. In that same time period, our community has seen MPD officers kill dozens of community members. Most of those deaths are ignored or even justified by politicians and media, who base their responses on police narratives alone. Thursday’s tragic but unusual events should not be used to derail efforts to address the harms that police do to community members. We have a right to demand accountability when those who are paid to protect and serve can kill with impunity.

This tragedy does not undo the MPD’s record of brutality and racism or erase the need for substantive change. Instead, we are committed to continuing the fight for community control over police, including a democratically-elected civilian body to hold police accountable when there is wrongdoing, and to set policies and procedures that meet the needs of our community members. We are continuing the fight for CPAC, a Civilian Police Accountability Commission.

#MinneapolisMN #TCC4J #CPAC #MPD

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.

Last week, the volunteer organizers delivered the signatures of over 12,000 Minneapolis residents who support putting community control of police on the ballot, through a city charter amendment to establish an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC).

Today, May 9, the city clerk’s office reported to the city council that only 5445 were verified as Minneapolis registered voters, 3498 less than the number required to move their proposal to the ballot.

“We are outraged to see so many of our neighbors' voices be discarded by burdensome policies that make it impossible for a truly grassroots initiative to move forward,” said Jae Yates, Minneapolis for Community Control of Police (M4CCP) field organizer. “You shouldn't need paid staff or politicians in your pockets to have a say in how your own communities are policed.”

Minneapolis for Community Control of Police organizers hold that the current statutes exclude many Minneapolis residents who signed the petition and should have their names counted. According to the clerk, 1341 signatures were from registered voters who have simply moved to a new address since signing. In a city with many renters and widespread housing instability, this excludes registered voters.

While they will continue to collect signatures to show the strength of the people’s support before the May 20 deadline, M4CCP will soon announce plans for other avenues in the short term to achieve community control of police.

Petitioning has been ongoing since the trial of Derek Chauvin, with an army of volunteers knocking doors, and speaking to neighbors, co-workers and students at grocery stores, houses of worship, and every kind of community gathering in Minneapolis. Every signature collected represents many more conversations with community members, since a lot of people who wanted to sign the petition were not registered to vote or ineligible to vote.

Despite this massive effort, organizers are not surprised the city clerk’s count threw out so many of the signatures submitted. According to organizer Noah Schumacher, “We understand that grassroots initiatives taken on by the people face anti-democratic barriers. We saw what happened in Atlanta when Cop City organizers collected over 100,000 signatures against the building of Cop City. Their initiative was thrown out on a technicality.”

“We already have a mandate from the people,” says Jae Yates. “Tens of thousands protested in outrage after the 2020 police murder of George Floyd. Back in 2015, thousands joined the occupation of Plymouth Avenue and marches after the murder of Jamar Clark. The people of Minneapolis were in the streets for months following each of these murders, leading and joining protests and heartbreaking vigils, getting arrested, getting brutalized, and fighting for change. The people have spoken.”

They continued, “After the lynching of George Floyd, the city promised change. Months later, Minneapolis police murdered Dolal Idd. Then Leneal Frazier. Then Amir Locke. Then Tekle Sundberg. We know the list will go on and on, unless there is radical change. We need true accountability. No more do-nothing commissions that are set up to fail, leaving the mayor of Minneapolis still in charge of his murderous squad. No more million-dollar payouts for police brutality. No more lies, no more cover-ups. We need accountability, both for the past and going forward.”

The charter amendment put forward by this petition calls for an all-elected commission of 13 civilians to oversee the police department. The CPAC would be empowered to investigate every resident complaint and abuse of police power. They would set police department policy, hire the chief, and be able to discipline officers. They would be required to do full reporting on all their activities and results.

Humberto Martin of M4CCP said, “CPAC gets the mayor, and the mayor’s political and financial ambitions, out of the picture. We need an entity whose sole responsibility is to hold the police accountable that we the people control directly. We need CPAC.”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #CPAC #M4CCP #TCC4J #PoliceCrimes

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.

The petitions call for an amendment to the city charter, to establish an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC). The city charter determines the structure of city government and can only be amended by election, or a unanimous decision of the city council with mayoral approval. Citizens can get issues on the ballot by filing a petition signed by 8943 Minneapolis registered voters; the number required is equivalent to 5% of the votes cast in the most-recent general election.

M4CCP filed 10,208 signatures, which the city clerk will verify against the voter rolls over the next ten days. If the verified number falls below the required number, M4CCP has ten more days to file additional signatures to fill the gap. Once the required signatures are reached, there may be legal or bureaucratic challenges, but organizers say they are ready to take them on, and fight to get CPAC onto the November 2024 ballot.

Press conference speakers addressed the importance that CPAC would have in the city of Minneapolis.

Jae Yates, field director for M4CCP, opened the press conference, “First I want to say how proud I am of every single person who has mobilized over the past three years to make this moment possible. TCC4J launched our campaign in the wake of the George Floyd Uprising because we, and members of our community, saw the need for transformation of the balance of power between the people and the police. We were honored to have Jamar Clark’s mother, Irma Burns, be the first person to sign our charter amendment, in memory of her son who was stolen from her and from the Minneapolis community in 2015. And we have been fueled by the support of thousands of people who have seen the brutality visited on communities of working-class people in our city, who said yes to substantive, permanent change that takes the power out of the hands of the cops and puts it into the hands of the people.”

Yates continued, “When George Floyd was killed, Mayor Frey promised us that he would be the mayor to eradicate police brutality in Minneapolis. Instead, what we have seen is millions of taxpayer dollars going to a police department that couldn’t even make it a full year without committing more brutal murders. Amir Locke, Dolal Idd, Tekle Sundberg and Leneal Frazier were all killed by MPD in the years since the Uprising. And yet the mayor danced in the streets with Black children on Juneteenth knowing he had done nothing to address the decades of discrimination and brutality that MPD has visited on Black neighborhoods.”

Stacey Gurian-Sherman, of Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract, who is also an appointed member of the city’s Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO), stated, “The need is obvious for an entity that provides effective, independent and fair police accountability. Without that, no reforms are real,” she said. She described countless problems with the CCPO, which the city established a year ago, to address a dysfunctional police conduct review process. “The reality, after a full year, is that it is disturbingly, more of the same.” She described how the CCPO is only empowered to make recommendations, its process has police investigating themselves, and operates behind closed doors, without public transparency.

Gurian-Sherman talked about how CPAC would have independently-elected commissioners, independent investigations, and “determinations, not ‘recommendations,’” declaring, “CPAC provides the answer to the vexing problems of police accountability and oversight that has eluded this city for decades. It’s time the city had a fair, genuine and needed commitment to police oversight. Voters can and must take the reins this November at the ballot box and vote in the Civilian Police Accountability Commission.”

The next speaker was Alissa Washington, of the Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-sentenced Families Council-MN and an advocate for her husband, Cornelius Jackson, who is sentenced with a life without possibility of parole for a 2006 crime that he did not commit.

Washington stated, “I am here to support CPAC because it is much needed. As we know, most convictions that are wrongfully-incarcerated start with the police. They have our Black and brown men and women who are new slaves. Not the slaves that my ancestors were, but they’re new slaves here, and it’s been going on for far too long. And I believe that we do need our voices heard and something done about the police here in Minneapolis. And you know, just to start in Minneapolis, hopefully it spreads throughout all of Minnesota and across the world.”

Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, said “I am here to stand for the lives that have been stolen unjustly, to stand for the father of my son, Justin Teigen.” Garraway works with many families killed by police, and described the pain she has witnessed from families she works with, including the mothers of Amir Locke and Courtney Williams, both killed by Minneapolis police. I stand with CPAC today because it is time for our community to be the ones stand up to make the decisions, because clearly something has gone drastically and deadly wrong when it comes to the police department.”

After responding to media questions, the group of about 20 descended the escalator carrying stacks of petitions to file with the city clerk. They entered the office chanting, “When killer cops are out on patrol, how do we stop them? Community control!”

M4CCP continues to collect signatures, many were out again that day collecting signatures, including at the annual International Workers Day rally and march in Minneapolis. If you are a registered voter who lives in Minneapolis, contact them right away to sign your name to the petition.

The M4CCP campaign was initiated by Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice, a branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR). TCC4J began calling for community control of Minneapolis police in 2017 and started drafting concrete language for CPAC after the 2019 refounding conference of NAARPR. The petition campaign was launched during jury selection for the trial of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd in March of 2021. Dozens of volunteers have collected signatures by knocking doors, at community events, outside grocery stores, in churches and mosques, on college campuses, and at countless other places in every corner of the city.

#MinneapolisMN #M4CCP #TCC4J #NAARPR #CPAC #Feature

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.

NOCOP and other organizations demanded that Kirkpatrick endorse a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), which she refused. The audience was notably dissatisfied with Kirkpatrick’s responses, and she left the town hall in a huff.

Superintendent Kirkpatrick has no background in policing in the city or state, and she took this position in New Orleans after losing previous position as a police chief in Oakland, California. Mayor Latoya Cantrell appointed her without inviting input from the city council or community. During her confirmation process, the city council ignored demands to call a public meeting with the mayor, and unexpectedly pushed back her confirmation hearing to avoid having a large audience. She was sworn into office on November 1, and this town hall marked her first conversation with the public.

Oversight “dysfunctional”

The event began with an interview of the superintendent by Jasmine Groves. Jasmine is the daughter of Kim Groves, who was assassinated by former NOPD officer Len Davis after Kim had reported police brutality. Jasmine Groves is a NOCOP member and has been a dedicated advocate against police violence for many years. During the interview, Groves posed questions to the superintendent regarding the consent decree, civilian oversight, Louisiana State Police collaboration, families of police violence victims, and the violation of First Amendment rights.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Kirkpatrick repeated in response to questions.

Kirkpatrick took a stance on the consent decree that particularly concerned the audience. The decree exists as a result of a Department of Justice investigation into the unconstitutionality of the city’s policing. The superintendent emphasized her plan to exit the consent decree, and many in the audience could be heard voicing that NOPD is still not in compliance.

Kirkpatrick also remarked that civilian oversight boards are “dysfunctional,” citing that a civilian review board had removed her in the past. She went on to brag about costing Oakland $1.5 million in order to remove her and suggested the existing Police Community Advisory Boards (PCAB) as the best setting for the public to give input to police instead of CPAC. The lackluster answers upset both Groves and the crowd.

“No trust without accountability”

Eventually, Jasmine Groves confronted the superintendent, stating, “As a victim of a mother killed by NOPD, it kind of aggravates me to see the picture painted cutely. The community is the only people that suffer. It's been 30 years since my mama was killed.”

Groves continued, “I would have loved for my mama to be here, or I wouldn't be here today. I had no choice in that. The consent decree is the only thing that gives the community safety, and, from a guideline – you can’t tell me that’s compliance. When we still have Ronald Greene, Davari Robertson, and all these people who still are families and victims of police corruption. So, the game, the wish, and the lies, that will not bridge the gap of trust. Cause my trust was torn when this twelve-year-old answered the phone and heard my mama’s shot.”

Groves speaking from experience about the impacts of police violence and the absence of police accountability riled the crowd to applause. “No trust without accountability!'' shouted one audience member.

During public comment time, the community voiced other frustrations. The crowd asked their questions, at times being very confrontational.

“Take the power back!”

WC Johnson with Community United for Change stated, “We still have officers on the job who’ve violated people’s rights that have never had to answer for or apologize for what they’ve done. PCABs are not working, so that can’t be our plan for community engagement alone. PCAB is a police community advisory board. In each police district there's a PCAB, but the things they’re supposed to do, the way they're supposed to work, the way they’re supposed to operate as described in the consent decree is not the way it's operating.”

Johnson continued, “The PCAB didn't come out of the community, it didn't come from the citizens.”

“The people of New Orleans are facing undemocratic and unconstitutional policing and increasing attacks on our democratic rights. So, if it's unconstitutional, and it’s undemocratic, then what kind of system do the people have?” Nat Turner of the People’s Political Party asked the superintendent.

“Based on the question as I am reading it, it says, ‘If the treatment of Black people in the city is unconstitutional and undemocratic, what kind of system do we have?’ —a failed one. A failed system,” responded Kirkpatrick, acknowledging the failures of police to protect citizens, but offering only existing avenues for public input to police as city residents demand community oversight. The superintendent responded to an ask from the crowd on whether or not she would attend another town hall. She declined.

“Take the power back! CPAC! CPAC!”, the crowd chanted as Kirkpatrick exited. To reflect on the town hall and take steps to continue building the movement for community control of the police, New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police will have an open meeting on the April 18 at 2626.Saint Phillip Street.

The endorsing organizations for the town hall were New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Eyes on Surveillance, Renters Rights Assembly, Communities United for Change, New Orleans United Front Against Crime, and NOCOP.

#NewOrleansLA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #CommunityControl #NOSHIP #NOCOP #FRSO #DSA #NOUFA #Feature

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.

Jae Yates, an organizer with Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J) and Sabry Wazwaz, a Palestinian organizer, spoke about the connections between U.S. police violence and the violence the Israeli occupying forces are inflicting on the Palestinian people.

Yates gave the history of Palestine and how groups like the Black Panthers and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee were supporters of Palestine in the 1960s and 70s. He also spoke about the roles that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and the U.S. have in exchanging training techniques designed to harm. He gave as examples that George Floyd’s killers participated in IOF trainings, and that Cop City in Atlanta, Georgia is an exact replica of a training facility in Israel. Yates said that the way forward is through community control of the police, and that the folks who are harmed the most by police should be the ones who get to hold the police accountable.

Wazwaz spoke of how this is not about Arab versus Jew, but that people are against the apartheid state of Israel and the continued bombardment on Gaza. He gave great detail of how the Israeli propaganda has brainwashed people into believing that Israel is the victim in all of this, and urging folks to continue to not only support a free Palestine, but also support the movement for Black lives in the U.S. He pointed out prominent Black and Jewish figures who have supported Palestine.

Both Wazwaz and Yates pointed out that during the Michael Brown uprising in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, while Palestinians themselves were dealing with bombings, they gave advice to protesters on what to do about tear gas. Yates noted that during the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis this happened as well.

This teach-in was well received by all who attended, and organizers expected that folks went away with an awareness of the link to the Black liberation struggle in the U.S. and the Palestinian liberation struggle.

At the end of the talk there was a call to action for participants to sign a postcard to send to members of the Minneapolis city council with the following demands: “Bar MPD and its officers from participating in any deadly exchange programs with IOF; oppose the use of military weapons and tactics by police in our city; ensure none of our tax dollars support genocide.

“We want transparency: are any of our local tax dollars invested in weapons manufacturers, banks and companies involved in Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise, or otherwise enabling the occupation? We want a commitment to divest from all of these.

“Support a Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC) – we need to put power over police into the hands of community members, to bring an end to racist policing and ensure MPD officers never collaborate with IOF.”

This teach-in was part of the week of action called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) and The US Palestinian Communities Network (USPCN).

#MinneapolisMN #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #International #Palestine #AntiWar #TCC4J #CPAC #USPCN #NAARPR #Feature

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.

Kevin Dave was responding to an overdose call, driving at 74 miles per hour, almost three times the posted speed limit and without a consistent siren. Kandula was walking through a lit crosswalk and had the right of way when Dave hit her and sent her flying 138 feet away from the intersection. Reports state that if Dave was traveling at 50 mph, Kandula would have had time to react and get out of the way.

On September 11, body camera footage was released of Michael Solan and Daniel Auderer, the president and vice president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, talking over their radios shortly after Kandula was killed. During the conversation, they can be heard laughing, and apparently estimating the value of her life, saying, “Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.” This sparked multiple large rallies mere days later, demonstrating to news outlets, city officials and the public that the people of Seattle have had enough. Kevin Dave, Michael Solan and Daniel Auderer have not yet sustained charges or faced consequences for their behavior or actions.

Jonathan Toledo, a member of SAARPR, delivered a unity statement written by the organization during public comment, reading, “We demand the immediate resignation of bigots Mike Solan and Daniel Auderer for their inhumane and unacceptable comments, and for Kevin Dave to be fired and convicted for the death of Jaahnavi Kandula.”

Other members of SAARPR asked the city council to reflect on their past actions on police accountability measures, saying “While SPOG argues for their worth, remember the price tag they gave Jaahnavi. Remember Solan ended the contract for FBI-backed body camera analysis because they fear accountability. Remember all of the victims of police violence you have shut down and left behind.”

Castill Hightower, a leader in the movement for police accountability and victim of the Seattle Police Department, spoke on the injustice, saying, “What adds another layer of heartlessness was the mockery of her precious life and the lives of all the victims of police violence that was made by what should be former SPOG leaders Mike Solan and Daniel Auderer.”

“We are systematically shut out and shut up. A good example of that is what has been happening to the Affected Persons Program, a pilot project to address the harms done to survivors and victims of police violence. It's been absolutely suffocated by the system, by the ‘accountability’ system – and city council.” said Valerie Schloredt, a longtime advocate of real police accountability.

With pressure from the Indian Consulate, national press, many community organizations holding demonstrations and SPOG still in the midst of contract bargaining, it remains to be seen if the officers involved will face charges or consequences. The Seattle Alliance plans to continue the fight for justice for Jaahnavi Kandula and for all officers involved to be held fully accountable.

#SeattleWA #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #SAARPR #NAARPR #JaahnaviKandula #PoliceAccountability #CPAC

On July 3, the Akron, Ohio Police Department released bodycam footage of the police murder of Jayland Walker. This footage was released after a week of demonstrations in Akron demanding justice. Police officers shot at Walker 90 times, hitting him over 60 times and killing him. The police confirmed that Jayland was unarmed when they shot him.

“This is just another example of police officers gunning down unarmed Black folks in this country,” said David Jones, a member of TBCAC. “We’re here today on July 4, the day people celebrate freedom in this country but we can’t be free while Black people are murdered by the cops in this country.”

The protest also highlighted similarities to the police killing of Jonas Joseph, a Haitian-American man murdered by Tampa Police Department officers.

“Jonas was a 26-year-old, killed in 2020 and in much the same circumstances as Jayland, killed during a traffic stop,” said Joe Nohava, a member of TBCAC. “TPD murdered Jonas after firing 125 rounds at him and his car. And in Jonas’s case, the cops lied, saying at first that he had fired at them, then when that was discovered to be a lie, they then claimed he had a gun in his hand, then that turned out to be a lie.”

The protest also demanded community control of the police. All of the speakers noted that the only way to address police killings was through the establishment of democratically elected Civilian Police Accountability Councils (CPAC). CPAC would allow members of the community to determine how they’re policed, including the ability to hire and fire police officers, set the police budget, and implement police department policies.

#TampaFL #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #CommunityControlOfThePolice #TampaBayCommunityActionCommitteeTBCAC

Conditions were laid for this by the actions of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She unleashed the Chicago Police Department to brutalize protesters in the rebellion last summer after the murder of George Floyd. Then just before Christmas, she was exposed for covering-up the CPD raid of the home of Anjanette Young. In recent weeks, news broke that she gave $280 million – 60% of the federal CARES Act funding for Chicago – to CPD.

In February, CAARPR and GAPA were meeting to produce a combined ordinance in preparation for the meeting of the city council Public Safety Committee (PSC). They were about to reach agreement when the mayor compelled the head of the PSC to deny a hearing to them. This convinced a group of alderpersons that Lightfoot had no intention to hold the police accountable.

“The joint ordinance is a big step forward for democracy,” said Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of CAARPR. “This bill establishes a Community Commission for the purposes of increasing public safety and ensuring that CPD activities are based on community needs and public input.”

“The joint ordinance empowers communities,” added Desmon Yancy, GAPA spokesperson and an organizer with the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN). “It ensures that the police department is accountable to our residents and that our public safety system reflects our values.”

“We’re united around a vision for police accountability that places communities at the center of community oversight, where it belongs,” said Alderman Roderick Sawyer. “I’m confident that this transformative approach will have the support it needs in city council.”

Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa agreed. “This ordinance represents a historic milestone in the path to ending racist policing,” he said. “It will ensure our police department operates justly and provides public safety for all.”

Included in the ordinance is a binding referendum to appear on the ballot when the first election for the community commission is held. The referendum (shortened here for readability) asks, “Shall the City of Chicago make the Commission created…that oversees the Chicago Police Department (CPD) an 11-person body consisting of 9 Elected Commissioners and 2 Appointed Commissioners, and give the Commission authority over the following: CPD budget; hiring and firing…the Superintendent of Police and members of the Police Board; CPD, police board, and COPA policies; and police union contracts, in addition to any powers the commission already has or that are listed in…the Ordinance that created the Commission?”

In the coming days and weeks, alderpersons who are cosponsors of the GAPA and CPAC ordinances will be briefed on the joint ordinance. Already, the city council Progressive Reform Caucus supports it.

As leaders in the fight to transform Chicago’s police department, the coalition is calling on city council Public Safety Committee Chairman Chris Taliaferro to support the joint ordinance and call it for a committee vote in time to allow a vote of the full city council in April.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #CPAC #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.

Students spoke about the increasing budget of both the Tallahassee Police Department and FSUPD as well as the lack of accountability to the community and student body at large. Students also demanded justice for the Tally19, a group of protesters who were arrested on September 5 during a rally to demand justice for those who have been impacted by police brutality. These protesters were arrested by a group of approximately 300 police officers clad in riot gear and many are currently facing charges.

Katherine Draken, member of Tallahassee SDS, said in her speech, “The police will never hold each other accountable, we need an independent board that can hold them accountable and demand real justice for the victims of police violence, that’s the purpose of a CPAC.”

Anthony Suarez, vice president of Tallahassee SDS, also spoke about the lack of police accountability, “When police murder someone they occasionally spend a few months on leave and then go right back to their jobs. We saw this with Lawrence Revell who murdered George “Nuke” William in 1996 and is now the TPD police chief, we also saw this with Zackri Jones, who murdered Mychael Johnson, who promptly went right back to work after committing murder.”

Students continued to speak about other cases of police brutality in Tallahassee and the U.S., ending the rally with a call for students and community members to get involved with local organizations such as Students for a Democratic Society or the Tallahassee Community Action Committee to continue the struggle against police repression and violence.

#TallahasseeFL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #TallahasseeSDS #TallahasseeCommunityActionCommitteeTCAC

The real reason the Public Safety Committee met to discuss civilian oversight was made clear with the announcement of Lightfoot’s new bill: the committee is getting ready to do the Mayor’s bidding. Since taking office, Lightfoot has not instructed her handpicked Chairman for Public Safety, Chris Taliaferro – a former police sergeant – to hold a single hearing on the longest-standing demand for truly transformative reform to Chicago’s police accountability system, the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) ordinance.

CPAC would give communities the power to control the police department through directly elected representatives. Since 2012, it has been the principal solution to police impunity for tens of thousands of Chicagoans who have demanded it, especially the city’s Black, Chicano/Mexicano and Puerto Rican communities facing police terror – a fact confirmed when a counterfeit proposal began to circulate within the channels of the city’s powerful NGOs in order to undercut CPAC’s demand for community power.

GAPA’s rival proposal to the CPAC was built around the delusion that the mayor would accommodate sticking “community” somewhere within the accountability system she did not already occupy. In response to that premise, the mayor simply swelled in power to crowd out all the available spaces. Today, GAPA is no more. Back in March, Lightfoot gutted the group’s proposal, refusing even to allow its toothless ‘Community Commission’ to have any say over police policy. Since then, she has walked away from the negotiating table altogether, announcing two weeks ago that she is going it alone. That leaves CPAC, but when asked recently what she thought of the demand for residents to exercise their democratic right to control the police, the Mayor stated unequivocally that she has always been against that right, “long before it became fashionable.”

For the October 20 hearing, nearly 2000 written comments in support of CPAC were sent to Taliaferro’s committee. In a repeat of the hearings held in 2018, when the public overwhelmingly rose to the mic to demand CPAC, all of the residents who testified on Tuesday voiced their support for community control of the police. None spoke on behalf of GAPA. Unable to attack the substance of CPAC’s demand to give communities the power to decide the terms of their own liberation and flourishing, the mayor’s city council lackeys tried to bog the hearing down in technicalities.

When it comes to addressing the fundamental issue of who should have the power to control and wield a lethal public institution, the contrast between the two opposing sides just got starker: the mayor on her own against Chicago’s communities, the mayor’s power versus the people’s democratic right to free themselves of police tyranny and abuse. In explaining how she can go it alone on community oversight after rejecting any power-sharing arrangement with communities, the mayor will no doubt utter something to the effect of, “The community, c’est moi.”

In the face of a national uprising against police crimes, the ‘police reform’ mayor has not only refused to address civilian oversight, she’s trying to completely do away with it. How did it come to this?

The uprising in Chicago that began on May 30 with some 15,000 protesters and a 4000-car caravan grew to some 100,000 people taking to the streets of Chicago over the summer to demand community control of the police. That demand has echoed throughout the city’s streets, reverberating its way to marches across the nation, and even into the first presidential debate.

The movement in wards across Chicago – including in the traditional police strongholds of the northwest – have led marches and sent thousands of emails to their aldermen to demand CPAC, including over 10,000 emails in Andre Vazquez’s ward, over 11,000 in Felix Cardona’s ward, and over 14,000 in Carlos Rosa’s. In the midst of the national reckoning occasioned by this uprising, the CPAC coalition has grown to over 100 organizations, including former members of GAPA such as Action Now, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Chicago Women Take Action, among others.

Rather than addressing police violence and syncing herself with the national moment, Lightfoot has unleashed her officers to protect property – including her own – and to brutalize protesters who have taken to the street precisely to protest police brutality. Praising her forces for clubbing, arresting and gassing thousands, she has upbraided them only for sleeping in the office of Congressman Bobby Rush when they should have been out defending property over lives. Her only response to the national movement for justice tremoring underfoot was to convene a working group on the Chicago Police Department’s use of force guidelines. The group concluded its work in October and recently published an op-ed calling the entire process a sham, after 150 of its 155 recommendations were rejected by the department. In the face of such ‘community input,’ CPAC calls for power, real democratic power to control the police accountability system in Chicago, not to have ‘input’ into it.

In celebrating Lightfoot’s role as enforcer during the pandemic and protector of property against unrest, the ruling class that put the mayor in power has sent her a clear message: “Order rather than justice.” Never willing to admit that their regime depends on police violence, exploitation and repression of Black and brown communities, the mayor’s base pushes the lie that policing is a benevolent tyranny that guarantees safety for all. With Lightfoot at the helm, they see an opportunity to revert the city’s political order to its pre-Laquan McDonald settings. After all, it was Lightfoot that Rahm Emanuel put out front to tell a city smoldering from the execution of Laquan McDonald that communities need a voice in policing. After that, Rahm had his Public Safety Committee stall any meaningful change until his exit. Rahm is gone – Lightfoot is the new Rahm, and having her say that the need for community-driven change has passed is the cover the ruling class needs.

There’s just one problem. The movement for the rights enshrined by CPAC has only grown stronger since forcing Rahm Emanuel not to run again and putting Laquan’s murderer on trial. Across the country, millions on the march are waking up to the fact that the police are and always have been a tool of white supremacy, serving the white supremacist ruling class that descends from this country’s founding lineage of slave owners. In connecting police repression to the protection of that wretched class, they see now why real police reform has never happened. In seeing others demanding the means to undo police repression through their own democratic rights, they see something that, though never before thought possible, hits them with the force of every true self-discovery. And once seen, that right is so close and so obvious that it cannot be unseen, only made into a material reality. For once seen, oppressed peoples can never turn their back on the right and the power and the means to destroy the bonds of their subjugation.

#ChicagoIL #AfricanAmerican #CPAC #CommunityControl #MayorLoriLightfoot

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.

Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) organized the event in response to the day of protest called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. It was the latest of the near-daily protests in Utah since the police murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal in Salt Lake.

“We need to repeal HB 415 and continue to take to the streets to demand justice for all victims of police violence, stopping at nothing less than SLCPAC and community regulation of the police,” said Carly Haldeman, an organizer with UAPB and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Haldeman referred to a Utah law passed in 2019 that bans any independently-elected board the power to constrain a police chief, investigate officers for misconduct, or veto a police policy. The law was a direct response to the community control legislation sought by UAPB and many other groups over the last several years.

After hearing from organizers with For the People, the Sunrise Movement, and Students for a Democratic Society, protesters took to the streets and marched to the governor's mansion to demand a special session on HB 415. Chants like “CPAC, fight back!” could be heard from the intersections occupied by protesters.

Since May 30, there have been continuous protests demanding justice for victims of police crimes such as Palacios-Carbajal, who was murdered by SLCPD in late May. Cops shot him more than 35 times in the back as he was running away. Nevertheless, District Attorney Sim Gill found the killing “justified” despite overwhelming evidence of murder and an overwhelming outcry from thousands of protesters.

“They took a poll in Utah; it shows 88% of Utahns overwhelmingly support police reform,” said UAPB organizer Mike Ramos, referencing a recent survey by the Libertas Institute.

“It’s not just us, it’s Utah that wants police reform,” said Ramos. “I am here as a Black man, and also Hispanic. I’m here for my beautiful Black children and their futures. We need community control of our neighborhoods. We want justice for Bernardo, Chad and Bryan. We want justice for everyone.”

Rae Duckworth, a member of Black Lives Matter Utah and cousin of Bobby Duckworth, who was murdered by Carbon County deputies in 2019, said, “I’m here because Bobby deserves justice. No one deserves bullets. The people deserve justice.”

#SaltLakeCityUT #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #CPAC #SLCPD #UtahAgainstPoliceBrutalityUAPB #HB415

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Over the past two weeks as Minneapolis and the rest of country have erupted in outrage over the murder of George Floyd by law enforcement—a spark which has ignited the collective experience of police terror across America going back as far as the institution of police has existed here—we have seen law enforcement double down on their crimes. As authorities dragged their feet to charge the four officers responsible for killing George Floyd, demonstrations have been met with such in discriminant violence, repressive curfews, and military force to suppress this popular movement for change. These violent attempts to crush the protests have exposed the intentions of the state and the police towards progressive change and those united in fighting for it, but they have failed to kill this movement.

It is out of this uprising that the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression calls upon all its members, comrades, friends and allies to join a national day of action this Saturday, June 13ᵗʰ to call for direct democratic community control of the police, to continue the call for freedom for those caged in detention centers, jails, and prisons while the pandemic continues to spread, and finally to continue the call for justice for George Floyd and all other victims of police crimes from brutalization, illegal searches, torture, forced confessions, and murder.

Community Control of the Police means more than attaching some new name on the same ineffective review boards filled with law enforcement officers and their sympathizers; it means direct, democratic control of police departments, policies, budgets, and officers with full subpoena power through a civilian council elected by the people of the community served by the police. If these democratic demands are not accepted, then who are the police meant to serve? The cities of America have two choices, give people control over the institutions supposedly meant to serve them, or expose themselves for only being concerned with public relations and maintaining their own control.

#USA #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #NAARPR #GeorgeFloyd #DayOfAction #CommunityControlOfThePolice

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) condemns the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) targeted anti-Black racist campaign against Kim Foxx.

The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) attack on State's Attorney Kim Foxx has nothing to do with moral outrage and everything to do with humiliation. Foxx, an elected Black official brought to power by a movement for racial justice, has been exposing and undoing the decades-old work of the Chicago Police Department's falsely imprisoning and torturing Black and Brown men.

The FOP's rage at Jussie Smollett's release and the work of the State's Attorney's office more generally stems from a simple fact: the mere word and presumed authority of the CPD are no longer enough to secure their terrorizing grip on Black, Brown, queer and working-class communities in Chicago. Accustomed to clearing case after case through the expedience of torture, extorted confessions and dubious eyewitness testimony – including for the 70 wrongfully convicted prisoners of color who have been released by Foxx in the past two years – the FOP is enraged at the thought of a Black prosecutor who dares to say no to their false assertions and instead demands evidence. In a show of force that served only to highlight their blatant refusal to represent all communities, they even brought in only white police chiefs from the Chicago suburbs to condemn the State's Attorney.

But for confirmation of the FOP's underlying racist ideology, one need look no further than their refusal to DENOUNCE the involvement of known white nationalists at their recent protest against Foxx, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times on April 27.

When asked by the Sun-Times about the presence of white supremacists at their April 1 rally, including the American Guard, American Identity Movement, and the Proud Boys, the president of the FOP had only one comment: he did not know who these groups were.

Significantly, neither he nor FOP Vice-President Martin Preib (when asked separately by WBEZ) have come out to publicly denounce the attendance and existence of groups who are fighting for a United States free of non-Europeans. It is hard to believe that the union representing the second largest police force in the United States, which touts its intelligence capabilities, fusion centers, and partnerships with federal law enforcement, has never heard of white supremacist associations, amidst an alarming national uptick in racialized hate crimes perpetrated by such groups. Graham's statement is either a bald-faced lie or a stunning admission of incompetence on the part of the FOP.

The FOP already supports the blanket criminalization of Black and Brown citizens through a “gang database”; the unjustified murder of people of color, including children; the framing and subsequent deportation of wrongfully convicted immigrants; the denial of well-documented cases of police torture of Black and Latinx men; and resistance to any type of police reform that would curb such racist abuse of power. While all of these activities help further the white nationalist cause, the Sun-Times' chilling photo of American Guard members at the April 1 FOP rally with a veiled death threat reading “Foxx permanently must go” spells a dangerous escalation in the support of this racist agenda. We demand that the FOP unequivocally denounce these groups and prohibit the involvement of white supremacists at its rallies and in Chicago.

The attendance of known white nationalists at FOP rallies should perhaps not be surprising, given that Chicago FOP Lodge 7 police officers unanimously voted to support a racist, Donald Trump, for U.S. president. It is nevertheless alarming and raises the inevitable question of how many FOP members are also members or associates of such hate groups. Communities of color have the right to know who is policing them just as they have to right to democratically determine who is policing them. We therefore call on the FBI, COPA and the press to investigate this question and make their findings available to the public as soon as possible.

Taken together, these facts highlight the FOP's direct role in making Chicago unsafe for residents of color and immigrants. This is the reason we continue to fight together with communities across Chicago for an all-elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) with the power to protect residents from the CPD's racist attacks. This is the reason why 17 incoming city council members support the CPAC ordinance. And this is the reason we will be protesting on Monday, May 6, 2019 at 4 p.m. in Union Park (in front of the FOP office) — to exercise our constitutional right to oppose the FOP, and to amplify our collective voice to pass #CPAC now.

We demand that the FOP heed the call for justice that saw McCarthy, Alvarez, and Rahm Emanuel ousted before they could inflict more harm on Black and Brown communities through neoliberal policies of disinvestment. We demand the FOP stop its racist attacks on Foxx. And we call on all progressive forces and all communities in Chicago to continue their fight for an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (#CPACnow). All Power to the People!

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #Antiracism #CAARPR

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.

What this election did see was a record number of young candidates challenging incumbents, and the greatest amount was in the Black wards of the city. According to Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with Black Lives Matter-Chicago, “What was significant were the young activists – mostly Black and Latino – that fought neighborhood by neighborhood.”

In addition, the agenda of these candidates was progressive. There’s been a polarization on the issues, and while there were fault lines along race and class, the most militant positions had to do with police terror.

Jeanette Taylor was elected alderperson of the 20th Ward, one of the poorest on Chicago’s South Side. After her victory, she wrote to her supporters, “This does not happen without the fight for Dyett, the struggle for a trauma center, the fight for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), or the campaign to bring a Community Benefits Agreement to the Obama Center,” and, “If the next mayor wants to close Black schools, lay off Black teachers, protect killer cops, and force Black and Brown and working-class people out of this city, she will have a City Council fighting her at every step of the way.”

Dyett School was threatened with closure by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In 2015, Taylor helped to lead a hunger strike of parents to save it. She then joined a fight led by Southsiders Together Organizing for Power to compel the elite University of Chicago to open a trauma center on the South Side of Chicago.

Jackson Potter, one of the founders of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) in the Chicago Teachers Union, said at the victory party for Jeanette Taylor, “For the first time in history, a Chicago mayor will face a strong city council.”

Chicago cops stage racist protest before election day

One of the platforms in the progressive agenda is for community control of the police. The morning before the election, the racists in the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) showed the need, according to Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, “for the Black and Latino communities to have democratic control over who polices their communities and how they are policed.”

The FOP brought out over 100 people, including members of three white supremacist organizations, to protest in front of the office of the Cook County State’s Attorney. The cops, along with Emanuel, were incensed at State’s Attorney Kim Foxx when her office dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused by the Chicago Police Department of staging a hate crime against himself.

The context for the FOP’s anger is that last year, for the first time ever, a cop (Jason Van Dyke) was convicted of murdering a Black person, and that Black and Latino communities in Chicago are demanding CPAC.

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, BLM, Southside Organized for Unity and Power, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network counter-protested. They were joined by Jeanette Taylor, previous candidate for mayor Amara Enyia, and the Reverend Otis Moss III, pastor of the historic Trinity United Church of Christ. Addressing the FOP, Rev. Moss said, “You’re going to be outraged by this, but you weren’t outraged by Laquan McDonald?”

Pulley thought the protest had to happen, and added, “What was really important was to have Jeanette there, fighting with us. It shows we have a new day in Chicago.”

Poised to fight for CPAC

After the run-off elections, there are now 17 members of the city council who have endorsed the CPAC legislation, nine of them from the crop of new activists. Five of the new alderpeople – Taylor, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Andre Vazquez, Daniel LaSpata, and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, will join Carlos Ramirez-Rosa in a Socialist Caucus. There are still two ward elections with insurgent CPAC candidates that are too close to call. If both William Calloway and Marianne Lalonde win, CPAC would have 19 supporters in the council.

After the election, Chapman spoke out against Lightfoot. “I submit that Lori Lightfoot is the Trojan Horse presented to us by the business barons of the Magnificent Mile, the outgoing regime of Rahm Emanuel, and the Fraternal Order of Police. While commentators, reactionary pundits, and misguided, self-deceiving people in our movement are praising Lightfoot as a triumphant first Black, openly gay woman to be mayor of a major city, they are ignoring her role as president of the Police Board. She was not a reformer, but a heartless vindicator of police brutality and murder.

“But let me quickly add that what we have won in terms of new seats on the city council is far more important than what we lost in the mayoral election. The wins of Byron Sigcho Lopez, Jeanette Taylor, and other progressives and CPAC supporters has set a new stage for struggle for our movement.”

#ChicagoIL #InJusticeSystem #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #Racism #Antiracism #CPAC

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.

Protesters included residents of the 30th Ward, members of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Chicago Boricua Resistance (CBR), and Innocent Demand Justice. Addressing the crowd, Jazmine Salas, co-chair of the Chicago Alliance, said “Reboyras has done nothing for the survivors of Guevara’s crimes and instead made sure to protect dirty cops. He has turned his back on Black and brown communities in Chicago. We’re here to tell him goodbye.”

Alderman Reboyras was appointed head of the Public Safety Committee by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015 – the year that the video of teenager Laquan McDonald being executed by former police officer Jason Van Dyke was released. Instead of using that position to hold the notoriously corrupt Chicago Police Department accountable, Reboyras has blocked any community demand to stop police crimes. That includes the proposed ordinance for an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), which has the support of nearly 60,000 Chicagoans, but which Reboyras tried to keep out of public hearings and then had killed in committee.

Reboyras’ abysmal record was also condemned by Veronica Tirado of Chicago Boricua Resistance, who said, “We are demanding freedom for all of the victims – and now survivors – of racist officer Reynaldo Guevara. We are here because we want accountability for the acts of torture and false accusations committed by Guevara, and from Reboyras’ dirty cover up.” Reynaldo Guevara has been implicated in the wrongful conviction of at least 50 men, predominantly Puerto Rican, 19 of whom have already had their false sentences vacated.

Esther Hernandez of Innocent Demand Justice, whose two sons Juan and Rosendo remain in prison after being framed by Guevara, told the crowd, “We’re here demanding justice for my two sons and all the Guevara survivors. We’re tired of these politicians who do nothing to help the victims of dirty cops and who do nothing for police accountability.” Esther’s husband, Charlie, said Reboyras was a childhood friend of the family growing up in Humboldt Park, but still has taken no interest in their case. The Hernandez brothers have been in prison for 20 years. Esther said, “Reboyras has done nothing for his own people.”

Passing cars honked and cheered to the crowd’s chant of “Hey hey, ho ho, Reboyras has got to go!” Reboyras is now tied with Jessica Gutierrez in a runoff slated for April 2. Along with ten candidates already elected to city council in February and 15 involved in run-offs, Gutierrez supports CPAC.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CPAC #ArielReboyras

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.

The other big victory on Tuesday was the reelection of Carlos Ramirez Rosa. Targeted for defeat by the allies of mayor, Rosa has been the lone militant voice in the council since his election in 2015. He championed the issue of police accountability, which he highlighted one week before election day in a video he posted online, appealing for community activists to rally in his defense.

“I’m proud of the work our movement has accomplished over the past several years, fighting for community control of the police and a civilian police accountability council (CPAC). Our movement is growing in strength. Big developers, Rahm Emanuel supporters, are spending tens of thousands of dollars in a bid to unseat me,” said Rosa

His appeal worked: Rosa won comfortably, with 60% of the vote.

McCarthy, Alvarez, Emanuel: Three down

Just before Thanksgiving 2015, Rahm Emanuel was exposed for covering up the brutal police killing of Laquan McDonald. Having been elected that spring largely on the vote of Chicago’s Black community, Rahm’s approval ratings descended into single digits following the public broadcast of the video of racist cop Jason Van Dyke shooting the unarmed McDonald 16 times. There were weeks of protests with thousands of people calling for Rahm to resign. He threw his police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, under the bus, firing him after the video came out; and then voters turned against Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who was soundly defeated in her bid for another term. After her loss, protesters chanted, “Two down, one to go!”

Over the next year, the corporate media and mainstream Democratic Party officials proclaimed that Rahm had been rehabilitated. He began amassing a war chest for his 2019 reelection bid. Then the day before Van Dyke’s trial was to begin, Rahm announced that he was not going to run. Three down.

Affordable housing, public education and police accountability

Even before Rahm’s announcement, a surge of young activists, mainly Black and Latino, were already preparing to get on the ballot to run for city council. Many of them had cut their teeth fighting against gentrification and Rahm’s corrupt use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts; supporting the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU); or organizing and leading the Black Lives Matter protests that began in 2014.

Then, after Rahm’s withdrawal, 14 people, none of whom are truly reformers, filled up the ballot for mayor. The result of the election is an historic first: the two remaining candidates are Black women. Lori Lightfoot, a former head of the Chicago Police Board, came out one percent ahead of Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board. Lightfoot was aided by an endorsement from the Chicago Sun Times, which referred to her as “progressive.”

However, Jazmine Salas, co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, wrote on Twitter the day before the election, “Lori Lightfoot is not a progressive!” and repeated the line multiple times in the tweet. The movement resisting police terror in the city remembers Lightfoot’s role on the Police Board, providing cover for the killer cops who murdered Rekia Boyd and “Ronnieman” Johnson.

For the Chicago Teachers Union, which endorsed Preckwinkle, this first round of the mayoral election was a victory because all those who favored the privatization of public education were defeated, including Paul Vallas, Gerry Chico and Bill Daley.

Excitement for April 2 runoff

In the election night watch parties, and on social media, the excitement in the movement was all about the races for city council. Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle, a well-known community activist, posted on Facebook Tuesday night, “Chicago! We just made history!! Elders, correct me if I’m wrong, but this must be the biggest sweep of openly left movement candidates ever in this city, or at least in recent history, right?” He pointed to the fact that Jeanette Taylor in the 20th Ward, Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez in the 33rd Ward, and Byron Sigcho-Lopez in the 25th Ward all had the most votes in their respective races. In Chicago, election law states that if a candidate does not win at least 50% of the vote in a mayoral or city council race, the top two vote-getters battle it out in a runoff. Taylor, Rodriguez Sanchez and Sigcho-Lopez seem to be the favorites for April 2 victories.

Salas summed up the results for the campaign for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), stating, “11 CPAC supporters won outright for city council seats; 14 CPAC supporters are in runoffs, and two wards have runoffs between two CPAC supporters. This means the new city council will have at least 13 members committed to CPAC and possibly 23.”

Frank Chapman of the Alliance commented, “This is definitely a progressive change in the political realignment of Chicago driven by our movement. There were movement people, CPAC people, working in the elections all over Chicago. We made an impact. Now let us quickly measure that impact, sum up what we have accomplished, and triumphantly continue to make progress.

“Our struggle, as we have proven in these elections, is much more than the figment of someone's imagination, a sacredly guarded utopian dream. Our struggle engages our people in the dirt and blood of political battles that must be fought to advance the struggle for our freedom.”

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #RahmEmanuel #Elections #CPAC