Skip to content

Milwaukee

White Supremacy And The Milwaukee Mass Shootings

March 20, 2020 By Monica Moorehead, Workers.org , , ,
A mass shooting took place on Feb. 26 in Milwaukee, Wis., at the Molson Coors brewery when a worker, Anthony Ferrill, opened fire and killed five co-workers before killing himself. This tragic development was hardly a blip on the radar screen of mass media when all of a sudden it just disappeared.

Stop-and-Frisk Settlement In Milwaukee Lawsuit Is A Wakeup Call For Police Nationwide

July 17, 2018 Staff, Aclu.org , , ,
In a banner day for police reform, the city of Milwaukee has entered into a settlement agreement to end practices amounting to a decade-long stop-and-frisk program that resulted in hundreds of thousands of baseless stops as well as racial and ethnic profiling of Black and Latino people citywide. The agreement provides a roadmap for how the Milwaukee Police Department and Fire and Police Commission must reform to protect the constitutional rights of the people they serve. The reforms are local, but the implications are national. This settlement sends a signal to police departments across the country about how to remedy stop-and-frisk practices that wrongfully criminalize people of color. The reforms in Milwaukee are the result of the settlement of Collins v. City of Milwaukee, a 2017 lawsuit brought by the ACLU and the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP on behalf of Black and Latino people, including a military veteran, a grandmother, students, and a state legislator.

Ex-Milwaukee Officer Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Black Man

December 16, 2016 Todd Richmond, www.AP.org , ,
By Todd Richmond for Associated Press - Prosecutors charged a Milwaukee police officer Thursday with killing a black man in August, alleging the man had thrown his gun away and was unarmed when the officer fired the fatal shot. Dominique Heaggan-Brown, who is also black, was charged with reckless homicide in the Aug. 13 death of Sylville Smith, which sparked two days of riots on Milwaukee's north side. In the days after the shooting, both the police chief and the mayor had said that police video clearly showed Smith had a gun and was turning toward officers when he was shot. Thursday's criminal complaint echoed that, but went on to describe a second shot, fired into Smith's chest after Smith no longer had his gun.

Educators, Students, Parents Community Stop Corporate Takeover Of Milwaukee Schools

November 2, 2016 Amy Mizialko, www.labornotes.org , ,
By Amy Mizialko for Labor Notes - If the Wisconsin legislature had gotten its way, private charter companies would have taken over at least one more public school in Milwaukee this year—pushing us dangerously near a tipping point to the planned extinction of our school district. But instead, thanks to the dogged activism of educators, students, parents, and community activists, we have staved off the immediate threat.

Black Youth, Single Mothers Are Not Responsible For Systemic Failings

September 1, 2016 Charmaine Lang, www.rewire.news , ,
By Charmaine Lang for Rewire - On the day 23-year-old Sylville Smith was killed by a Milwaukee police officer, the city’s mayor, Tom Barrett, pleaded publicly with parents to tell their children to come home and leave protests erupting in the city. In a August 13 press conference, Barrett said: “If you love your son, if you love your daughter, text them, call them, pull them by the ears, and get them home. Get them home right now before more damage is done. Because we don’t want to see more loss of life, we don’t want to see any more injuries.”

Milwaukee Declares Curfew After Protests Over Police Shooting

August 16, 2016 Brendan O’Brien, www.reuters.com , ,
By Brendan O’Brien for Reuters - The city of Milwaukee imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on Monday in an attempt to quell rioting that erupted the previous two nights in response to the police shooting of an armed black man in one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Mayor Tom Barrett also renewed his call for state officials to release a video of the Saturday night shooting in hopes it convinces angry protesters that deadly force against Sylville K. Smith, 23, was justified.

Violent Protests Erupt In Milwaukee After Police Kill Suspect At Traffic Stop

August 15, 2016 Brendan O’Brien, www.reuters.com , ,
By Brendan O’Brien for Reuters - MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - The National Guard was activated on Sunday to help authorities should further rioting erupt in a predominantly black Milwaukee neighborhood where a policeman killed a suspect who officials said had turned toward the officer with a gun. Police Chief Edward Flynn said a silent video of the incident appeared to show the officer acting within lawful bounds in the shooting of Sylville K. Smith, 23, on Saturday after Smith fled a traffic stop. Flynn said the video from the officer’s body camera showed Smith turning toward the officer with a gun in his hand.

People’s ‘Walk-In’ Defends Public Education In Milwaukee

September 28, 2015 Workers World, www.workers.org , , ,
Educators, staff members, students and community members “walked-in” at 105 Milwaukee Public Schools on Sept. 18. This action was organized by the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association and Schools and Communities United, with support from dozens of labor-community organizations. Participants held rallies, informational picket lines and other events before the start of the school day and before they “walked-in” to their respective schools. Thousands across the city demanded an end to Wall Street attacks on public education. In a powerful solidarity action, similar groups organized simultaneous walk-ins at 14 public schools in LaCrosse, Wis., near the Minnesota state line. Over the past few years the right-wing-controlled Wisconsin Legislature has rammed through the greatest austerity cutbacks in the history of the state in public education — both K-12 and higher education.

Transit Workers Shut Down Bus Lines, Demand Fair Contract

July 4, 2015 Tracey Pollock, www.fightbacknews.org ,
By Tracey Pollock in Fight Back News - Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 998 started a 72-hour work stoppage this morning, July 1, at 3:00 a.m. It will go through 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning, July 4. The work stoppage comes during the middle of Summerfest, billed as the largest annual music festival in the world. An average of 800,000 to 1 million people attend over 11 days, with an estimated 15 to 20% of festival-goers taking public transportation. ATU president James Macon made clear that the company and the county government are to blame for the work stoppage, as they refused to provide a fair contract offer to the workers. “We have tried over and over again with the company to get something done but they kept putting it off and making excuses,” Macon said at a press conference in front of the ATU hall June 30.

[PHOTOS] One Year Later: A Celebration Of Dontre Hamilton’s Life

May 4, 2015 Occupy Riverwest, www.occupyriverwest.com , ,
One year ago this past Thursday 14 shots forever changed Dontre Hamilton’s family and the city of Milwaukee. Much has happened since those fatal shots left Milwaukee police officer Christopher Manney’s gun. Since that day in April the Coalition for Justice has worked hard to highlight the injustices of a system that allows officers like Manney to go free. Though some progress has been made, on Thursday the Hamilton family made clear that much remains to be done. How many more mothers must face what Maria Hamilton has endured? Mothers for Justice is organizing a Mother’s Day action in Washington DC. Please join if you can, or donate for the trip here.

Dontre Hamilton’s Family Puts MPD ON NOTICE.

January 1, 2015 Coalition for Justice, www.facebook.com ,
To Milwaukee Police Department, The Coalition for Justice is an organization committed to action in the name of justice. We have been involved in the struggle for justice in this city for several months as an organized group, and have sought only to activate the power of the people to stand united against police violence and brutality. We write to you today to firmly and unequivocally say that we will not tolerate police intimidation and harassment of peaceful protesters and community members who are exercising their rights as citizens of this city and country. There have now been several incidents regarding this intimidation (unwarranted traffic stops, police surveillance outside of protesters homes, targeting specific protesters for arrest/harassment, etc.) that have been reported to us from the individuals who have been victims of this torment. This must stop now.

Police Issue Arrest Orders For Protest Organizers

December 29, 2014 Revolution News, www.revolution-news.com , , ,
Statement from Khalil Coleman Milwaukee WI resident and Organizer from Occupy The Hood Milwaukee: For three years now dating back to the in custody death of Derek Williams, I have been a vocal activist for the group Occupy the Hood Milwaukee. Within these three years we have faced four very influential cases of injustice; Darius Simmons, Derek Williams, Corey Stingley, and now a national case with Dontre Hamilton. Just recently, I have been arrested three times for civil disobedience, have been personally called out by our chief of police and now am wanted (without a warrant issued) for ‘interrogation and desire to charge’ by Milwaukee Police Department. They have searched for me for two days now using the Fugitive and Apprehension Division.
Sign Up To Our Daily Digest

Independent media outlets are being suppressed and dropped by corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our daily email digest before it’s too late so you don’t miss the latest movement news.