New York, NY – At approximately, 5 p.m. Eastern time, April 20, Derek Chauvin, the cop who fatally jammed his knee on George Floyd’s neck for over to nine minutes, was found guilty on all three charges. The murder of George Floyd caused millions of people to take to take to the streets demanding justice.

Many organizations throughout the country had protests planned for the day of the verdict. In Brooklyn, the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression called for a “Justice for George Floyd and NYPD Victims” rally for 6 p.m. in the plaza opposite the Barclay’s Center.

The organizations that gathered under that call were: New York Community Action Project, Declaring Justice for Dominique Alexander (Justice for Domo), Uptown for Community Justice, New York Boricua Resistance, G REBLS, BAYAN USA Northeast, Struggle – La Lucha for Socialism, Socialist Unity Party, and the New Abolitionist Movement.

Many organizations gathered to not only mark the announcement of the guilty verdict, but what the next steps are in police accountability. These organizations also brought attention to local cases of NYPD brutality such as those of Allan Feliz, Dominique Alexander and Sofia Gomez Aguilon.

Jessica Schwartz from New York Community Action Project spoke to the crowd, “This is not a victory of the system, but of people power. We must fight back against the NYPD and demand justice for Dominique Alexander, who was found hanging from a tree in Fort Tryon Park last year – and the NYPD spent 66 minutes investigating the case before ruling it a suicide; Allan Feliz, murdered during a routine traffic stop in the Bronx, and Sofia Gomez, who was struck and killed by an NYPD van also in the Bronx.”

Ralph Poynter, of the New Abolitionist Movement, also emphasized the role protests and organizing have played in making the Chauvin verdict a reality, telling the crowd: “You are the witnesses who made this verdict possible because had you not been here; had you not been around the world, had you not been in the streets, the verdict would’ve been different.”

What many of the organizations in the New York Alliance have in common is the demand for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). This council would put control over the police into the hands of the community. A CPAC would also give the power to the people to defund, abolish and generally control all aspects of policing.

When the rally ended, the organizers joined hundreds who had gathered at Barclays Center to march across Brooklyn. The majority of those in attendance knew that while this was a victory for the people who had marched tirelessly for the past year, there was more to be done, and more justice to be won.

#NewYorkNY #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #GeorgeFloyd #NewYorkAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression

New York, NY – About 50 people gathered at Union Square, September 19, to demand an end to all police crimes, the withdrawal of federal troops, and community control of the police. The rally and speak out was put by the newly formed New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR).

Last week, organizations that are part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held their first event, “Teach-In and Orientation” as a first step to organize together here in New York City. The event, put on by the New Yok Community Action Project, was to get all these organizations working together to uphold the campaign for a Civilian Police Accountability Council.

Within one week of NYAARPR being formed, organizations put on a successful speak-out and outreach event.

The emcees of the speak-out, Jessica Schwartz (NYCAP) and Estevan Bassett-Nembhard (Communist Party USA), brought the crowds in with a few chants about community control, “When I say CPAC, you say fight back!” and “NYPD kills on patrol, what do we need? Community control!”

Speakers ranged from Struggle-La Lucha, New York City Students for a Democratic Society, DC 37, CPUSA, New York Boricua Resistance, and Bayan USA. Each of the speakers expertly brought their organization’s focus to the forefront and connected them to the need for community control of the police.

Jessica Schwartz stated, “Why community control? Because we’ve seen time and time again how our current system is incapable of properly holding police accountable for their violence against different communities. Because it should be the communities that they’re sworn to serve and protect who holds them accountable, not a board chosen by politicians and the police. We want an accountability council made up of people with no ties to police and have been involved in organizing in people’s movements.”

The event ended with protesters signing on to organize. NYAARPR is asking that if an organization is interested in supporting the CPAC campaign to email nyaarpr@gmail.com and if an individual is interested in joining the campaign, to find the New York Community Action Project on Facebook or Instagram.

#NewYorkNY #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #NewYorkAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression