September 26, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

We received this leaflet:

WE DEMAND: DROP the CHARGES NOW

Next hearing: September 28, 2600 S California Ave, Room 206, 9:00 am

IGGY & ALFREDO STILL FACING FELONY CHARGES FOR
PROTESTING POLICE MURDER & TERROR—
WHILE BRUTALIZING COPS NEVER GET CHARGED WITH ANYTHING!!!

It has been 22 months since Iggy and Alfredo were brutalized and arrested for protesting the decisions not to bring charges against the police who murdered Mike Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in NY. This was before police in Baltimore murdered Freddie Gray and then got off. Before Cleveland police murdered 12-year-old Tamir Rice and got off. Before police in Baton Rouge murdered Alton Sterling. Before police in Minnesota killed Philando Castile. Before police in Tulsa killed Terence Crutcher. Before police in Charlotte killed Keith Lamont Scott and before police across the country killed thousands more!!

Yet who is being prosecuted and faces felony charges and many years in prison? The police who committed these crimes? The prosecutors who aid and abet them in getting off? The agencies and people in authority who cover up the police crimes? No. It’s the protesters who face felonies.

David “Iggy” Rucker and Alfredo Reyes were absolutely right to be out in the streets protesting that day. If it were not for people like them taking to the streets all across the country, many people would not have been awakened to the horror of police murders.

It is a complete travesty that Iggy and Alfredo continue to face these charges at all. Iggy and Alfredo were at a noisy, peaceful protest. In fact it was they who were brutalized by the police. To add insult to injury they have been forced to go to court over and over as the prosecution drags their feet in releasing the discovery sought by the defense. And who is going to preside over this railroad? An op-ed by Nicole Gonzalez VanCleve in the New York Times pointed out, “the rottenness is not confined to the Police Department. Racist practices extend far into the criminal courts, indeed they are the very foundation of the cases that enter into the court system. The hands of many judges and prosecutors are just as dirty as the bigots in blue.” (NY Times, “Chicago’s Racist Cops and Racist Courts” by Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve, 4-14-2016).

Now is the time to go on the offensive and for everyone to demand that ALL charges against Iggy and Alfredo and ALL the protesters be dropped and that the CPD stop targeting key activists! A political and legal battle needs to be waged to make this happen and all people of conscience need to get involved in this. We cannot let the brave protesters be railroaded on bogus charges.

Iggy works with the Revolution Club of Chicago and has been very visible in protests to stop police murder. He has been targeted by the police for retribution. The Chicago Sun-Times revealed that the Revolution Club of Chicago and others were the targets of police spying during the same time period when Iggy was arrested.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

DEMAND the CHARGES BE DROPPED against David “Iggy” Rucker and Alfredo Reyes. Contact the State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, 69 W Washington, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60602; statesattorney@cookcountyil.gov 312-603-1880

PACK THE COURTROOM NEXT HEARING
Wednesday, September 28, 2600 S California Ave, Room 206 at 9 am

PUBLICIZE THE CASE, GET INVOLVED. CONTACT: Revolution Club Chicago, revclub.chi@gmail.com 312-804-9121

DONATE TO THE DEFENSE. For information on how to donate email stopmassincarcerationchicago@gmail.com

 

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