Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

injusticesystem

By staff

Milwaukee protest demands police accountability.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

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

The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is ecstatic to announce that the Milwaukee Police Association has dropped their lawsuit in opposition to Standard Operating Procedure 575. The Milwaukee Alliance has been fighting for SOP 575 since Memorial Day Weekend of 2021. This SOP will force the Milwaukee Police Department to release footage, including body camera footage, of critical incidents to the victims’ next of kin within 48 hours and the public within fifteen days. This is a huge victory for the people of Milwaukee and the first step towards true transparency and accountability between police and the community. For the first time, Milwaukeeans will have a hard timeline on when they can expect answers about police crimes in our communities.

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By David Pulido

Marchers protest police killings in front of Fullerton PD.

Fullerton, CA – Over 30 people, including families impacted by police killings, protested against police brutality at the Fullerton Transit Center on Friday, July 5. The protest was spurred by the March killing of Alejandro Campos Rios by the Fullerton Police Department. Rios was homeless and experiencing a mental health crisis when police killed him.

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By staff

Lakeland, Florida  press conference blasts police repression, demand justice.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Winter Haven, FL – On Sunday, June 30, the voices of hundreds assembled at the Church of God the Bibleway echoed the demands for police accountability in nearby Lakeland, Florida as stories of abuses at the hands of the Lakeland Police Department were shared.

Attorney Bobby DiCello, representing the victims, moderated the press conference. Activists and victims spoke out about the abuse that Lakeland Police Department is responsible for. DiCello, on behalf of the victims, asked for a meeting between the victims and the Lakeland Chief of Police Sam Taylor, who has time and time again covered for the abuses and incompetence of his officers, as they beat, harass and invent bogus charges against African Americans in Lakeland.

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By staff

The Willis family and supporters gather in front of City Hall to demand the indictment of killer cop Eno Guillot for killing Deaughn Willis in 2022.

Baton Rouge, LA – On Monday, July 7, the family of Deaughn Willis held a press conference in front of City Hall to demand justice. Willis was murdered by East Baton Rouge Deputy Eno Guillot in 2022. Guillot was denied qualified immunity for the murder in a ruling earlier this year. However, Guillot is still employed by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and has not faced any criminal charges.

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By staff

Town hall meeting against the construction of a cop city in Dallas, Texas.

Dallas, TX – On Saturday, July 6, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) Dallas partnered with the Stop Cop City Dallas coalition for a town hall meeting at Pan-African Connection to educate the community on the planned construction of a police training facility to be built on the University of North Texas at Dallas campus.

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By staff

San Jose rally demands the release of Leonard Peltier.  | Fight Back! News/staff

San Jose, CA – Over two dozen people gathered in San Jose to demand the freedom of political prisoner Leonard Peltier on the 49th anniversary of the shootout at Pine Ridge, June 26. Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement who has been wrongfully imprisoned since 1978 after being framed for the killing of two FBI agents during the shootout.

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By Saba Indawala

Tampa press conference demands end to repression against pro-Palestine students.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Tampa, FL – On June 28, approximately 15 students and community members gathered in front of the University of South Florida (USF) for a press conference in response to the recent attacks on Victoria Hinckley and Joseph Charry. The two students were targeted by university administration for participating in a Gaza solidarity encampment at USF.

After the encampment, the school suspended both Hinckley and Charry and ultimately expelled Hinckley and suspended Charry for a year.

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By Gabriel Miller

Meeting of the newly appointed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Chicago, IL – Chicagoans demanded action to stop police crimes on Thursday, June 30, at the first official meeting of the newly appointed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA), a citywide body charged with holding the Chicago Police Department accountable.

50 community members, organizers, police district councilors and family members of those lost to police violence showed up at Saint Sabina Church on the Southside to demand an end to pretextual traffic stops and so-called “tactical teams.” Nine of the ten speakers who gave public comments raised the demand to end these racist police practices which have caused the murders of Dexter Reed and Reginald Clay Jr among many others, as well as the daily harassment of Black and brown people.

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By staff

The Riley family and community members outside Tallahassee City Hall. | Cas Casanova/Fight Back! News

Tallahassee, FL – On June 19, friends and family held a rally at Tallahassee City Hall demanding to overturn the verdict and sentence against Calvin Riley.

Community members joined the Riley family to speak during public comment at the city commission meeting, which apparently was held despite the Juneteenth holiday. Speakers demanded justice for Calvin Riley after he received a conviction and a DUI sentence, despite proof that a police officer planted evidence on him.

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By staff

Community vigil for Justin Knight.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville community joined together for a vigil on Tuesday, June 11, to honor the life of 36-year-old Justin Knight. The community joined Knight 's family and friends around the newly rebuilt Friendship Fountain in downtown Jacksonville. Loved ones, along with community members, shared about Knight's life while also demanding answers about his death.

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