News and Views from the People's Struggle
New York, NY – Over 1000 people gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on March 28, to protest the police killing of Stephon Clark. Clark was a 22-year-old unarmed Black man who was shot 20 times and killed by police officers in Sacramento, California.
Chicago, IL – A prominent leader of the movement against police crimes, Frank Chapman, of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, condemned the March 27 decision by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to not prosecute the Baton Rouge, Louisiana cops who murdered Alton Sterling in July 2016.
Chicago, IL – People power prevailed over the racist Cook County court system on March 15 as Tyrone Williams, a leader in the movement for community control of the police, was released from jail after being held incommunicado for seven days.
Minneapolis, MN — On March 20, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced charges against former Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor for the murder of Justine Damond. That same night, Justice for Justine Damond and the rest of the Twin Cities anti-police crimes movement came together to demand #Justice4All with a rally of around 100 people. March 21 was Noor’s first appearance in court.
Fight Back! interviewed Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez Rosa and Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression about the struggle for an elected, civilian police accountability council (CPAC). The legislation to create this ordinance was sponsored by Alderman Rosa and eight other members of the Chicago City Council.
Chicago, IL — Tyrone Williams, a leader in the fight for community control of the police in Chicago, was arrested yesterday by the judge in the murder trial of Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke committed the heinous murder of Laquan McDonald in 2014. Judge Gaughan has repeatedly ordered arrests of community members in the court room for minor infractions, while allowing the defense attorney endless delays to the start of the trial. In this photo, Williams speaks at a Black History Month program about the campaign for an elected civilian police accountability council (CPAC). He is a member of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, as well as Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
#ChicagoIL #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Antiracism #LaquanMcDonald
MacClenny, FL — On March 1, the family of DJ Broadus II, an African American man brutally murdered in north Florida, called for and rallied at a second town hall meeting here, at Emmanuel Church of God in Christ. About 80 people showed up to a town hall meeting which was led by Dominic Broadus Sr., the father of the slain Dominic “DJ” Broadus II. Participants included Michael Sampson II and Joshua Parks. Sampson and Parks are members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, a local Black-led organization that has been helping lead the effort to get #Justice4DJ, along with other organizations such as the Dream Defenders, Color of Change, and the Black community in MacClenny. MacClenny is on the western outskirts of Jacksonville.
Los Angeles, CA – Over 50 angry people protested in front of the Los Angeles Police Department Boyle Heights Hollenbeck police station, Feb. 17. Cardboard signs with slogans like, “Justice for Christian Escobedo,” “Stop police brutality,” “Stop killing our youth,” and “De-escalation not violence” were waved at the people driving by and at the LAPD.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Feb. 1 statement from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines
Chicago, IL – More than three years after the death of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, his killer, Jason Van Dyke, will be going on trial in the coming weeks or months. In preparation, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has issued the following statement announcing their plan to protest outside the court house on that day. The Alliance is asking for endorsers, for activists in the region to travel to Chicago that day, and for activists in cities further away to hold solidarity rallies.
Chicago, IL – In 1997, a corrupt police detective in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, Joseph Miedzianowski, arrested 17-year-old Jaime Hauad. After torturing Hauad into making statements that were used to incriminate him, he was charged with murder, wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Years later, Miedzianowski and Gang Crimes Unit head, Reynaldo Guevara, were exposed for having wrongfully convicted 51 young men, mainly Puerto Rican and Chicanos/Latinos. Hauad’s mother, Anabel Perez, has fought for freedom for her son since then, joining the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and working in the movement against police crimes. On Friday, Jan. 19, Hauad finally walked free from prison. Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression issued the following statement to mark this important victory: Welcome home Jaime Hauad!!! All power to the people!!! Now let’s free Gerald Reed and all the torture victims!
New York, NY—On Jan. 18, several dozen organizers gathered in the below-freezing evening to demand an end to all U.S.-led wars and imperialism.
New York, NY – Organizers gathered at the International Action Center, Jan. 16, for a panel called “After J20: Fighting Back Against Political Repression.” The panel was organized by the Committee to Stop FBI Repression – NYC (CSFR) as part of the #DaysOfRage. The #DaysOfRage is building towards a final rally on Jan. 20, which is the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of Trump.
#WalkingWhileBlack is not a crime
Jacksonville, FL – Around 25 members of different civil rights organizations spoke out at the Jacksonville city council meeting, Dec. 12, to demand an end to the racial profiling and the racist ticketing policies of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), the Northside Coalition, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition, UNF Students for a Democratic Society as well as the local Southern Christian Leadership Conference spoke out at city council, saying that #WalkingWhileBlack is not a crime and demanded a halt to the pedestrian ticketing program run by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Minneapolis, MN – A group of union members and community activists from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar confronted Hennepin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman for dragging his feet in the case of Justine Damond, who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in July. After investigators turned over evidence in the case in September, Freeman had promised a decision by the end of the year. Freeman was caught on tape in a conversation at the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation holiday reception on Wednesday evening. In that conversation, Freeman blamed the wait on investigators who he says have not given him the evidence he needs to bring charges in Damond's death.
#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #TwinCitiesCoalitionForJusticeForJamar #JustineDamond
Chicago, IL – More than 200 people took part in a protest against killings by police, Nov. 24, boycotting Black Friday on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. This is the third year in a row that marchers came out to demand justice for Laquan McDonald, murdered by a Chicago cop in 2014. The protest also demanded freedom for torture victims of the Chicago police, and an elected civilian police accountability council (CPAC). The march was organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
#ChicagoIL #PoliceBrutality #BlackFriday #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #CPAC
Chicago, IL- Hundreds of activists will take to the streets on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to interrupt business on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.
Por: Redacción
The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) has been organizing against police crimes for decades. Since 2012, they’ve led a five-year campaign for community control of the police. They have also organized several protests against Donald Trump since he was elected. Fight Back! interviewed Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Alliance, about the situation in the U.S., after Charlottesville, Virginia was the scene of the racist ‘Unite the Right’ rally and assault on counter-protesters.
Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) has been busy organizing this year against the city’s $4.4 million budget proposal to add 100 new cops to ‘fight crime.’ This plan leaves out any training or accountability for the already existing officers guilty of misconduct on the force – and there are too many of those to count in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).