Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression hosted a rally, June 11 to demand justice for “Thee 3” (Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Jr. and Antonio Gonzales) and to advance the demand for a civilian police accountability council, or CPAC.
If you have been out in the streets this past few weeks, the odds are good that you’ve been thinking about the difference between the kind of change this system has to offer, and the kind of change this country needs. Capitalism is failed system that thrives on exploitation, inequality and oppression. The reactionary and racist Trump administration has made the pandemic worse. The unfolding economic crisis we are experiencing is the worst since the 1930s. Monopoly capitalism is a dying system and we need to help finish it off. And that is exactly what Freedom Road Socialist Organization is working for.
Saint Paul, MN – On June 10, Native Lives Matter, AIM of Twin Cities and AIM Patrol of Minneapolis led a protest that pulled down the 10-foot tall statue of Christopher Columbus that had stood in front of the Minnesota State Capitol since 1931. A couple hundred people cheered as protesters put a rope around Columbus’s neck and dozens pulled until the statue came crashing down face-first.
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the filing of charges on Los Angeles Police Department cop Frank Hernandez, June 9, for the brutal beating of local Chicano resident Richard Castillo. DA Lacey’s decision comes after video of the incident caused uproar in the community of Boyle Heights where the attack took place, leading to protests and a widely-circulated petition demanding the firing of Hernandez.
Demand community control of the police, and resignation of Chief Hall
Dallas, TX – On Saturday, June 6, about 5000 people rallied in 100-degree weather at Belo Garden Park across the street from the Earle Cabell Federal Building in downtown Dallas, to demand justice for victims of police violence, community control of the police, and the resignation of Renee Hall, the chief of the Dallas Police Department.
Tampa, FL – On Monday, June 8, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC) led a crowd of around 500 on a march through the historic neighborhood of Ybor City to demand community control of the police in the Tampa Bay Area. The march ended at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) building, where protesters demanded charges be dropped for the hundreds of protesters arrested by HCSO over recent weeks.
Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee has been host to months of regular protest since the January 2020 swearing-in of killer cop Lawrence Revell as chief of police. Protests became more frequent after three murders in the last three months by the Tallahassee Police Department, and now daily protests have continued for the past ten days after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and Tony McDade by Tallahassee Police Department.
Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of June 6, over 200 people rallied on the corner of North 76th and West Burleigh Streets near the Milwaukee-Wauwatosa border to stand with the family of Alvin Cole, as well as members of the family of Jay Anderson, Jr. Both Cole and Anderson, along with Antonio Gonzales, were all murdered by Joseph Anthony Mensah, a member of the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD). Despite these three killings, Mensah still works for WPD. The rally was called co-organized by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR).
Los Angeles, CA – On April 27, a video filmed by a neighbor in Boyle Heights caught LAPD officer Frank Hernandez and another unnamed woman officer violently beating and arresting Chicano Richard Castillo. The video quickly went viral due to the completely unprovoked manner in which officer Hernandez punched and attacked Castillo. After backup was called, witnesses had to come out to defend Castillo. Officer Hernandez and others drew guns on the witnesses and ordered them to “Get out of here!”
Minneapolis, MN – On June 7, Minneapolis officials tried to pull one over on the people again, in the guise of promising real change after the murder of George Floyd. Nine city council members declared a “commitment to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.” The announcement was made at community meeting held by Black Visions and Reclaim the Block, two grassroots organizations that have been calling on the council to divest from MPD since 2018.
Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, June 6, over 10,000 residents of Jacksonville came out to an historic march hosted by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee. This march came a week after 3500 people gathered on the headquarters of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) to demand: Release of body camera footage being held hostage by JSO; an end to excessive force, by instituting community control via a Civilian Police Accountability Council; and transparency in testing and reporting of COVID-19 for those in JSO custody.
Houston, TX – The police murder of George Floyd, the catalyst of a national and now global wave of mass demonstrations against anti-Black racism and police brutality, took place in Minneapolis. But Floyd was a son of Houston, Texas, a longtime and much beloved neighborhood personality of the Third Ward, one of the city’s historic centers of African-American life. Judging by the sheer size of the recent protests in Houston, Floyd’s home city will never forget him.
New York City, NY – New Yorkers continue to fill the streets this evening, May 6, marking the eighth day of nearly non-stop protests against police crimes. Hundreds of Brooklyn residents joined with thousands across the nation to uplift the names of Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, by marching from Barclays Center to Borough Hall, then to the Brooklyn Bridge before returning to the Barclays Center for a candle-light vigil for Breonna Taylor.
Miami, FL – Thousands took to the streets of Miami June 6, to protest police violence against Black and brown communities in the U.S. and to continue demanding justice for George Floyd. Protesters called for arresting killer cops in all cities, demilitarizing the police, and community control over the police. They took to the streets and marched for miles along Biscayne Avenue, from the Torch of Friendship at Bayside all the way to Wynwood.
Washington, DC – The streets around the White House are packed with people, June 6, as the massive protest demanding justice for George Floyd and others who have been impacted by police crimes continues to grow. Many tens of thousands are joining in. President Trump finds himself increasingly isolated. The National Guard and federal paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city.
Minneapolis, MN – Alrededor de 500 sindicalistas y funcionarios de docenas de sindicatos se reunieron en la casa del fiscal del condado de Hennepin Mike Freeman en el suroeste de Minneapolis, el 31 de mayo, para exigir justicia para George Floyd y poner fin a la vigilancia racista. Los manifestantes se resolvieron a no permitir que los tropos racistas sobre los agitadores externos les impidieran hacer lo correcto.
Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, workers from across the city of Milwaukee joined a labor contingent in support of a rally and march for police accountability.
Denver, CO – Protests for George Floyd and other victims of police violence have continued into their second week in Denver, with thousands joining the struggle for justice. Saturday, June 6 saw a coalition of numerous labor unions join together to demand justice. Speakers from Teamsters Local 455, SEIU Local 105 and CWA Local 7777 emphasized the need for unity between the labor movement and anti-racist groups, noting that solidarity between the two groups is essential to ending police terror.