Ferguson is facing military occupation and the Marriott Hotel is hosting a program that makes this possible.
The militarized lockdown and brutal attack on Ferguson’s Black community is not an anomaly. Police repression is growing across the US and globally through coordinated efforts to militarize policing tactics and weapons.Local police departments are now directly funded by the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. From September 4th-8th, one such DHS-backed program, Urban Shield, will be hosted by Oakland’s Marriott Hotel. This weekend – including SWAT training, national and transnational police networking, and weaponry sales – is coordinated by the Urban Areas Security Intiative (UASI.) UASI is an initative in which the St. Louis area police actively participate. The military tanks, tear-gas, rubber bullets and SWAT armor attacking the people of Ferguson are there because of these programs: Resist the occupation of Ferguson by stopping Urban Shield.
**ACT NOW: Demand the Marriott not host!**
People across communities are rising up to resist policing. We cannot allow this engine of state repression to continue. Take a stand with WRL and our partners in Oakland to oppose Marriott’s profiteering from the militarized repression of our communities. Sign and share this petition as a nonviolent demonstration of people power!
(Photo above by Scott Olson/Getty)