Milwaukee, WI – The movement to win justice for Darius Simmons, Derek Williams, Corey Stingley, and Bo Morrison has received a boost from the national attention and outrage over the “not guilty” verdict for Zimmerman. Last week over 300 people shut down major streets in downtown Milwaukee. In similar cases over the last two years, community members led by the Occupy Coalition (Occupy the Hood Milwaukee and Occupy Milwaukee) repeatedly rallied for Derek Williams, Darius Simmons, and other local victims of racist police and vigilante murder.

The verdict in the case of Trayvon Martin’s murder hit home for many in Milwaukee who witness similar verdicts in the cases of friends, family, and neighbors. Fueled by outrage, many are putting their energy into revitalizing the local movement to demand justice for the victims of police and vigilante murder in the Milwaukee area. The movement is currently focused on four local cases, all Black men and boys ages 13 to 22 killed by white adults.

Justice for Darius Simmons

This week, John Spooner, the murderer of thirteen-year-old Darius Simmons, is on trial in Milwaukee. Wisconsinites witnessed the Milwaukee Police Department go to great lengths to protect Spooner after he murdered the child, just as Sanford police officials went to great lengths to assist Zimmerman. Instead of immediately arresting the murderer, Milwaukee Police arrested Simmons' brother at the scene of the crime, detained the dead child’s mother for three hours, and searched their family home. At the same time, MPD allowed Spooner to go into his home (part of the murder scene) and “retrieve belongings.” Notorious Southside alderman Bob Donovan even suggested to Spooner that he take matters into his own hands, hours before Spooner shot Simmons to death. “There are other ways to deal with situations,” said Donovan, “that police couldn’t solve.”

In the first half of Spooner’s trial, he was convicted of first-degree homicide. The trial now moves to the second phase, in which Spooner’s lawyers will try to prove an insanity defense. But one thing is for sure, the massive national movement for Trayvon Martin and local movements for similar cases have magnified Simmons’ case and put a watchful eye on the court as Spooner is tried.

Justice for Corey Stingley

The most recent case to come to light is the strangling of sixteen-year-old Corey Stingley at a liquor store in Milwaukee county. Three white men reportedly accused Stingley of theft, and attempted to conduct a citizen’s arrest. While the three grown men detained Stingley he was strangled to death. No charges were brought against any of the men involved in his death. Corey’s father, Craig Stingley, led the Occupy Coalition rally on Sunday, carrying a portrait of his son.

“There’s no reason that the men who killed my son should still be out on these streets, no reason period. But they are, and that’s because this system is broken,” said Craig Stingley in an interview with WISN news.

Justice for Derek Williams

For two years the Occupy Coalition has rallied tirelessly alongside friends and family of Derek Williams to demand justice. They have helped expose a cover-up of his death that leads all the way to the Police Chief’s desk, and beyond.

After community pressure, the autopsy records were revised to show Williams suffocated after Milwaukee Police broke his neck. Persistent, militant rallies for Derek Williams led to a federal inquest into his death. The jury in the inquest recommended homicide charges against the three white police who refused, against protocol, to help Williams while he suffocated in the back of their squad car. Incredibly, the judge disregarded the jury’s advice and allowed the officers to walk right back to duty on Milwaukee streets, with no punishment whatsoever. The inquest, won through community pressure, did not bring justice for Derek, but it did expose the racist and corrupt nature of the so-called justice system.

Systematic change

Persistent community mobilization aims a spotlight on the corrupt and deadly police misconduct in MPD, on their political supporters, the police and fire commission, the sheriff’s office, and even the mayor’s office. With every injustice exposed, more community members are joining the coalition.

The Occupy Coalition joins community leaders and family members to fight for justice in the courts, but it is also demanding systematic change. Activists blame racist discrimination and national oppression for many of the tragedies perpetrated against African-American youth by Milwaukee police and racist vigilantes. But they are also targeting the city’s elite power structure for encouraging and protecting those who commit such crimes. Occupy leaders are discussing continued actions addressing the ineffective Police and Fire Commission, but this weekend, they plan to take to the streets again.

More actions planned

Carrying over the momentum from last weekend, this weekend will have three separate events. On Saturday, July 20, the Occupy Coalition will participate in the 100 cities rally called for by Al Sharpton. The rally will be held at noon in front of the Federal Courthouse at 517 E Wisconsin Ave. Also on Saturday, the “Cop Watch” Program will meet at Urban Underground at 2pm, 4850 W Fond Du Lac Ave.

On Sunday, the Occupy Coalition will lead another mass march beginning at 6pm by the Martin Luther King Jr. statue on MLK Drive, near Vine Street.

#MilwaukeeWI #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #OccupyMilwaukee #OccupyTheHood #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem #DerekWilliams #OccupyCoalition #DariusSimmons #CoreyStingley

Williams was an African American youth who died while he was in Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) custody. Within the first three days of the trial, seven of the 20 MPD officers who were called to testify plead the Fifth. A few of those seven officers agreed to testify only after they were promised immunity. The arresting officer and two other officers were not offered immunity.

Members of Derek Williams' family and other witnesses from the Riverwest neighborhood where Williams was arrested testified as well. In many cases the testimony from community members and family members contradicted that of the officers.

Officers claimed that Williams stated that he couldn't breathe one time, but others stated that he pleaded with officers many times about his inability to breathe. Towards the end of the inquest, in a disappointing move, the prosecutor and judge decided that felony unintentional homicide charges would not be considered if the jury called for a criminal trial. In the end, the jury decided to recommend misdemeanor ‘Failure to Render Aide’ charges. It was clear by both testimony and the video tape of Derek Williams in the squad car that officers did not act soon enough when it was apparent that he was in distress.

The day after the inquest, Occupy Milwaukee and other community organizers released statements denouncing the court's decision to consider only misdemeanor charges while at the same time acknowledging that it was good thing that the jury decided to press charges at all.

Occupy Milwaukee demanded that the special prosecutor uphold the jury's decision and also demanded that a full investigation into MPD be launched, the officers be fired regardless of the outcome of the criminal trial and that MPD be subject to more citizen oversight from now on. There has been no final decision from the prosecutor on whether or not formal charges will be pressed against the cops who are liked to Williams’ death.

#MilwaukeeWI #PoliceBrutality #OccupyMilwaukee #MilwaukeePoliceDepartment #DerekWilliams

Milwaukee, WI – The declaration of a cease fire didn't stop 200 people from marching in downtown Milwaukee, Nov. 22, in response to a week of Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. Protesters demanded the bombing of Gaza stop and called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

A statement by the Milwaukee Committee to Stop FBI Repression read, “We were pleased with the turnout to the emergency call to action to stop the bombing of Gaza and end U.S. funding of Israel. These people understood the importance of coming together to oppose U.S. support for Israel and making a stand for the Palestinian people. Government repression of Palestine solidarity activists from Hatem Abudayyeh to the Holy Land 5 will not stop us. We look forward to meeting with organizers in the next few weeks to plan more antiwar and Palestine solidarity events in the near future.”

The march went up and down Wisconsin Avenue, chanting, “Free Palestine!” and “Palestine will be free.”

A wave of young people from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee joined the downtown protest, a day after their own spirited demonstration on campus.

“We stand here in solidarity with the Palestinians and we will continue to fight until the struggle is over. We must boycott, divest and voice ourselves because we, the people, have the power to make change. As we continue to work towards a free Palestine, our collective efforts will not go unnoticed. We demand the U.S. to cut aid to Israel and we demand the injustice to be ceased,” said Jameela Asmar of SJP.

As the march approached the old downtown Federal Building, protesters gathered together for a speak-out. Organizers from SJP, SDS, Occupy Milwaukee, Youth Empowered in the Struggle, American Muslims for Palestine, Iraq Vets Against the War, Friends of Palestine Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Committee to Stop FBI Repression rang out their support for the struggle for a free Palestine and vowed to continue the fight.

#MilwaukeeWI #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #SDS #Palestine #StudentsForJusticeInPalestineSJP #OccupyMilwaukee #MiddleEast

Milwaukee, WI – Demanding the right to collectively bargain, Palermo’s frozen pizza workers have been out on strike since June 1.

Workers and supporters picket six days a week while collecting thousands of petition signatures online. A national boycott is in effect for Palermo’s frozen pizzas.

A solidarity dinner will be held July 12 at United Lodge 66 at 6:00 p.m., bringing together Palermo’s workers and members of Voces de la Frontera, the Machinists, Occupy and other supporting organizations.

After the dinner, at 7:30pm, attendees are all invited to join the picket line.

“We expect to raise money and enjoy our creativity before Thursday's picket,” commented Daniel Ginsberg of Occupy Milwaukee.

Carolina Soza-Gonzalez, who is helping to organize the solidarity dinner said, “The just fight for living wages, benefits and safe working conditions has been a constant through the history of this country. Milwaukee in particular is one of the places where the workers have gone as far as giving their lives for an eight-hour work day. Today the Palermo workers are the ones leading this fight, for them and for all of us. It is because their fight goes beyond this particular factory that we have the duty to support them. These workers, and their families, are fighting for our rights by risking it all – jobs, housing, health benefits.”

Soza-Gonzalez added, “The strike has been going on for over a month and we do not know exactly how much longer it will go on...so we need the support of everyone...the workers need money for rent and basic needs, they need food and even water and umbrellas for the picketing. They also need to know we are with them. They need our strength to continue, until victory.”

#MilwaukeeWI #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #OccupyMilwaukee #PalermosPizza #pizzaWorkersStrike