Tallahassee, FL – Local activists are calling new attention to the long struggle against terrorism by white supremacist law enforcement through a series of direct actions, the latest of which took place January 30 at a “Meet the Chief” meet and greet at a community center in Tallahassee.

“This action is to protest the appointment of confirmed killer cop Lawrence Revell to chief of police, and to condemn the opaque, nepotistic process employed by City Manager Reese Goad to appoint Revell to this position,” said Regina Joseph, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC).

Members of TCAC distributed brochures documenting the corrupt history of City Manager Reese Goad, the brutal, racist legacy of newly appointed Chief of Police Lawrence Revell, and the events of the night on which then-officer Lawrence Revell killed George “Lil Nuke” Williams, age 19, in 1996.

About 30 residents chanted, “Who are we? We’re the 850! Revell and Goad have got to go!” “No justice; no peace! No racist police!” and “Black lives matter!” Large posters displayed messages including, “Community control of police,” and “Mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living.”

A pair of police officers attempted to remove protesters from their location, threatening trespassing charges. Tallahassee resident and UPS Teamster Zachary Schultz put forward a moral challenge to the cops, “Are you really going to side with – and defend – a murderer? Lawrence Revell murdered George Williams, and immediately threatened dozens of teenagers at gunpoint to keep them from testifying against him! You’re defending that? That’s what you stand for? How dare you!”

The police mentioned trespassing charges again, but soon relented. The protesters held their ground. The action included speeches by TCAC President Regina Joseph and fellow TCAC member and recent FSU graduate Delilah Pierre, and song-leading by TCAC members Satya Stark-Bejnar and Trish Brown, who also does work on hurricane relief and refugee resettlement. There were no arrests.

#TallahasseeFL #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #PoliceCrimes #LawrenceRevell