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No more generations of our youth, here and all around the world, whose life is over, whose fate has been sealed, who have been condemned to an early death or a life of misery and brutality, whom the system has destined for oppression and oblivion even before they are born. I say no more of that.

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April 14 Protesters Have Right on Their Side
Police Who Attacked Them Are Unjust and Immoral

April 16, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

On April 14, in over 30 cities across the country, the streets were brought alive with thousands of people acting with courage to deliver a clear message: The murder of Black and Brown people by the police must STOP. People blocked streets, bridges, and highways...walked out of schools and marched on campuses...went into city halls...disrupted business as usual. People of different nationalities and a wide range of backgrounds joined together in a just cause.

NYC Rally/Press Conference Demands: Drop ALL the Charges Against EVERYONE Arrested on April 14!

New York City, April 16—In a protest rally and press conference in front of City Hall, Carl Dix of the Revolutionary Communist Party and Stop Mass Incarceration Network demanded that charges be dropped immediately against all the people arrested at the April 14 Shut It Down actions. Dix said, "The protesters were doing what was right, what was legal, and frankly what our humanity demands of all of us that we do—standing up when the police commit crimes against the people." He also demanded that NYC Mayor de Blasio retract and repudiate the threats he has made to investigate and prosecute the protesters. And he said, "We also bring forward our demand that giving a green light to brutal murdering cops must stop. We declared on Tuesday that we were in the streets to stop this. Intimidation, arrests and threats will not force us to back down. We are back in the streets and we're going to stay in the streets until this horror is stopped."

Joining Carl Dix in front of NYC print, radio and TV media were some of the people arrested on the 14th, including two high school students; several civil rights and criminal defense lawyers; Noche from the Revolution Club, NYC; and other religious and political figures and activists. A statement from Cornel West read at the rally/press conference said:

"I am blessed to be a part of this marvelous victory characterized by moral militancy and political courage in this Ferguson moment. My dear brother, Carl Dix, and I promote this Stop Mass Incarceration Network because we love the people, and this love is unstoppable! I condemn the police attack on the April 14 protest and demand that charges be dropped on all those arrested at the protest."

Father Lawrence Lucas also sent a message saying: "It's deplorable that people can't have a peaceful demonstration without being attacked by thugs in uniform. It's unfortunate that de Blasio who was saying the right things is now being cowed by the likes of Pat Lynch of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and Daniel Pantaleo, the murderer of Eric Garner. The phony charges on all those arrested at the protest must be dropped."

What happened on April 14 was righteous, powerful, beautiful and much needed. The police and the powers behind them were stung by the defiant protests—and they struck back with arrests and brutality.

In New York City, as many as 42 were arrested according to news reports, including high school students. Sunsara Taylor, writer for Revolution/revcom.us, reported about what she saw of the pig brutality: "They broke bones, crushed the air out of people as they kneed their heads on the concrete, smashed faces and bodies (including mine) against brick walls and then body-slammed into us to add to the impact. They denied medical care for a long time to one person they'd rendered unconscious and mocked and laughed as we demanded they get an ambulance." Witnesses said an undercover cop pulled a gun at protesters, including a high school student, during the march across the Brooklyn Bridge. Several protesters were held overnight and were not released until the next day. On top of this, the "liberal" mayor and the media spread lies about the protest and threatened protesters with investigations and prosecution.

In L.A., police and sheriffs in riot gear arrested 14 people who were doing a die-in downtown on the tracks of the Blue Line train. At the same time, students were marching through the UCLA campus and later blocked traffic on the 405 Freeway off-ramp, where four students were arrested.

There were outrageous police assaults against April 14 actions in other cities across the country. These are from what we know about at this point:

  • In Ferguson, Missouri, three people were arrested in the protest in front of the police station. According to a correspondent, "One was arrested for being in the street. The second person was arrested for no reason as the cops arrested her. And then a legal observer was arrested."
  • Three people were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, where protesters blocked traffic in front of the police department with a large "Black Lives Matter" banner.
  • In Madison, Wisconsin, several protesters were arrested in an action that blocked a downtown intersection for several hours to demand justice for Tony Robinson and as part of the nationwide April 14 actions. According to the group Young Gifted and Black, two adult protesters who were trying to protect the youth from the police were brutalized and arrested. One protester described another arrest: "He wasn't talking, wasn't doing anything, and they slammed him to the ground. They had their knee on his neck and his face in the dirt. I tried to put my hand under his face to protect it, but then they arrested me."
  • In Springfield, Massachusetts, 15 protesters were arrested for blocking traffic. In a piggish move, the mainstream media printed the names, photographs, and addresses of those arrested.
  • In San Francisco, six people were arrested in an action blocking a busy highway to the Bay Bridge.
  • In Chicago, five people were arrested for blocking downtown traffic. A news video clip appears to show cops attacking a banner being held by protesters with the faces and names of people killed by police.

The police attacks on the April 14 protesters in cities across the country are completely unjust and immoral. And those outrageous actions highlight the utter bankruptcy and illegitimacy of the system these police serve and enforce.

Those who were arrested—for taking to the streets to Shut It Down—are freedom fighters. All who were arrested must be defended—in the courts and as an important part of a new wave of broad and determined resistance across the country to say that police murder of Black and Latino people must STOP.

Drop all the charges against all the protesters arrested on April 14 Shut It Down day!

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