Chicago, IL – An historic mobilization took place in Chicago’s Loop, the center of the city, August 29, when 3000 people marched to demand an elected, civilian police accountability council.

Chicago, IL – Activists from all over the U.S. are arriving here to join the August 29 march against police crimes and to demand community control of the police.

Interview with Frank Chapman

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) is calling for a march on August 29 to demand civilian control of the police. They have written legislation to create a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), elected by the voters. Fight Back! interviewed Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Alliance, about the fight against police crimes, the march in August and CPAC. Fight Back!: Why is the Alliance campaigning for this legislation? Doesn’t Chicago already have a civilian review board?

Chicago, IL – More than 50 people representing 20 different organizations gathered August 12, to make final plans for the August 29 march to stop police crimes.

Chicago, IL – On August 8, about 100 people marched to stop police crimes at the historic Bud Billiken Parade. The parade, the oldest and largest African American parade in the U.S. attracted thousands of residents in Chicago’s South Side.

Chicago, IL -They started filing into work between 7:00 and 8:30 in the morning. After years of schooling they landed a job with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). The job can be mentally draining. Conditions are bad. Today the temperature is supposed approach 90 degrees. The air conditioning hasn’t worked for more than two years. Bed bugs have again been reported as being in the building. The bathrooms are unsanitary and the drinking water has both color and odor.

Chicago, IL – Empezaron a llegar al trabajo entre las 7:00 y las 8:30 de la mañana. Después de estudiar por años, lograron conseguir un trabajo con el Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Illinois (DHS). El trabajo da cansancio mental. Las condiciones son malas. Hoy la temperatura podría alcanzar los 90 grados. El aire acondicionado no ha funcionado por más de dos años. Una vez más hay reportes de chinches en el edificio. Los baños son asquerosos y el agua del chorro tiene mal color y olor.

La Alianza de Chicago Contra la Represión Racista y Política (CAARPR) está llamando a una marcha el 29 de agosto para exigir el control civil de la policía. Han escrito, además, legislación para crear un Consejo de Responsabilidad de la Policía Civil (CPAC), elegido por los votantes.

_Turkey redoubles war on Syria, Kurds and the left _

Chicago, IL – Chicago-based anti-war leader Joe Iosbaker is speaking out against the latest U.S./Turkey attacks on Syria and the Kurds. “What does it mean that the U.S. and its NATO junior partner, Turkey, are creating a ‘Safe Zone’ along the Turkey-Syria border? The first result is that dozens of Turkish fighter planes are engaging in attacks against the Kurdistan Workers Party in Syria as well as in Iraq. In Turkey, they’re cracking down on Kurds and the left, with hundreds of arrests.”

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Police Department has shot 400 people in the past eight years, but city officials have declared that only one of those shootings was unjustified. The government body that decides this is the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA).