Police abuse

Protest Against The Taser Killing Of Israel Hernandez

August 16, 2013 Red Pill Philosophy, www.youtube.com Organize! Police abuse, Video

We Are Change covers the emotionally-intense protests for Israel Hernandez--the Miami teen who was killed when tased by cops, who reportedly laughed and "high-fived" each other after doing so. Friends, family, neighbors, and strangers arrived at the rally, amassing in an undeniably potent group that attracted the attention of onlookers, drivers, and Miami Beach Police, who watched cautiously the entire time behind shady sunglasses, or atop nearby rooftops.

Chalk The Police State–Sidewalk Chalk Could Land Four Protestors in Jail For A Year

August 15, 2013 Six, www.interoccupy.net Educate! Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Police abuse

On August 10th, during a monthly chalking protest against police brutality in solidarity with the families of people killed by LVMPD officers, four Las Vegas activists were arrested by the LVMPD. Each was charged with two counts of “defacing property” and two were additionally charged with two counts each of “conspiracy to commit a non-felony crime.” For sidewalk chalk.

Videos: Dream Defenders End Vigil at Florida Capitol

August 15, 2013 Staff, www.youtube.com Organize! Police abuse, Racism, Trayvon Martin, Video

After staging a sit-in outside Gov. Rick Scott's office at the Florida Capitol for the past 31 days, the Dream Defenders are ending their round-the-clock vigil. They say they've accomplished many of the goals that they set for themselves when they arrived here on July 16. They organized the sit-in because they were upset with the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman. The group called for a special legislative session focusing on Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, racial profiling by police, and zero-tolerance school policies. They convinced House Speaker Will Weather to schedule a hearing on Stand Your Ground this fall. They plan to meet with leaders at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to talk about racial profiling. And they say they have a commitment from state education leaders to talk about policy adjustments to juvenile justice rules.

America’s Disappeared

August 13, 2013 Chris Hedges, www.truth-out.org Educate! Criminal Justice and Prisons, Human Rights, Police abuse, Poverty, Racism

"In America, when you are poor, you can instantly disappear like this into the subterranean rabbit holes of our vast jail and prison complex. You crawl out weeks, months or years later. You try to pick up where you left off. You avoid the cops. You look for work. There is no work. It is a constant cat-and-mouse game the state plays with the poor. The hunters. The hunted. The poor, no matter what they do, are always potential prey, minnows in a sea of sharks."

NYPD Can No Longer Ignore Settled Law: Stop And Frisk Illegal

August 13, 2013 Kevin B. Zeese, greenshadowcabinet.us Educate! Police abuse, Racism

In the 195 page decision by Judge Scheindlin finding the NYPD stop and frisk policy unconstitutional the judge stated well-settled Fourth Amendment law regarding searches that the NYPD should have been well aware of. Indeed, she described the training materials used by the NYPD to be “erroneous and misleading.” Judge Scheindlin was also critical of language that encourage stopping “the right people” as this had been code for stopping African American, Latino and other targeted groups. The judge made it clear that race is an inappropriate basis for stopping and searching someone. Judge Scheindlin described the program as “indirect racial profiling.”

Undercover Agents Infiltrated Tar Sands To Break Up Planned Protest

August 12, 2013 Adam Federman, www.counterpunch.org Educate! Energy, Environment, Infiltration, Police abuse

According to documents obtained by Earth Island Journal, investigators from the Bryan County Sherriff’s Department had been spying on a Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance training camp that took place from March 18 to March 22 and which brought together local landowners, Indigenous communities, and environmental groups opposed to the pipeline. At least two law enforcement officers infiltrated the training camp and drafted a detailed report about the upcoming protest, internal strategy, and the character of the protesters themselves. The undercover investigator who wrote the report put the tar sands opponents into five different groups: eco-activists (who “truly wanted to live off the grid”); Occupy members; Native American activists (“who blamed all forms of government for the poor state of being that most American Indians are living in”); Anarchists (“many wore upside down American flags”); and locals from Oklahoma (who “had concerns about the pipeline harming the community”).

Why Have Police In America Turned Into Such Ruthless Thugs?

August 12, 2013 Michael Snyder, www.endoftheamericandream.com Educate! Police abuse

Once upon a time, the police were one of the most respected institutions in America, but now most Americans fear them. Almost every single day there are multiple stories of police brutality or misconduct that make the national news. Just this week, there have been stories about police killing a baby deer at an animal shelter, about police killing a 95-year-old World War II veteran in a retirement home, and about police using legal technicalities to “legally” steal massive amounts of money from innocent citizens. Why are police acting like this? Why have police in America turned into such ruthless thugs? In the case of the baby deer that was killed, 13 armed agents stormed the animal shelter up in Wisconsin where it was being cared for. Is this really the kind of country that we want our children to grow up in? A country where Bambi is hunted down by armed thugs working for the government? Sadly, the story about that deer is not an isolated incident. The truth is that police all over the country kill animals every single day. In fact, police in Chicago have shot 488 animals since 2008.

New York’s Stop And Frisk Program Ruled Unconstitutional

August 12, 2013 Kevin Zeese, www.PopularResistance.org Educate! Police abuse, Racism

Judge Scheindlin described the program as "indirect racial profiling." Indeed, there were 4.4 million people between 2004 and 2008, and 80 percent of them black or Hispanic. She described a "deliberate indifference" on the part of New York City to these unconstitutional searches. In fact, more than indifferent Mayor Bloomberg was an advocate of the stop and frisk program who resisted any efforts by the city council or individual rights advocates to curtail the abusive program. Judge Scheindlin wrote: "As early as 1999, a report from New York’s Attorney General placed the City on notice that stops and frisks were being conducted in a racially skewed manner. Nothing was done in response."

Your Rights: If An Agent Knocks

August 12, 2013 Staff, www.ccrjustice.org Educate! Human Rights, Police abuse

Federal agents have many tools at their disposal to target activists. While it is important to know and understand these tools and tactics, it is of critical importance that you resist any paranoia of government surveillance or fear of infiltration, which will only serve to paralyze you or your organization in your quest for social change. If fear of government repression prevents you from organizing, the agents of repression will have won without even trying. The Center for Constitutional Rights created If an Agent Knocks to provide advice to activists likely to be targeted by FBI agents or other federal investigators. Since its original release in 1989, If an Agent Knocks has been widely circulated in progressive activist communities across the country. This guide includes both the timeless advice included in the original version and extensive updates to reflect the current state of the law and law enforcement tools.

Photos: Hundreds Mourn Teen Artist Tasered To Death By Miami Cop

August 11, 2013 Educate! Police abuse

An emotionally-charged rally has been held at the site where 18-year-old Miami graffiti artist Israel Hernandez-Llach was shot with a Taser gun, dying shortly after. Hundreds of friends, supporters and relatives of the teenager gathered at the spot where the teenager was spray-painting a shuttered McDonald’s restaurant before being chased by police – an incident that resulted in his death shortly after being tasered by the officers after refusing to stop running. Hernandez-Llach’s female friend and former classmate, Lucy Rynka, had touching words to say about him: “he was a genius… He showed me how powerful art can be, how you can use color and design to relay a powerful message.”

Open a Federal Investigation into the Killing of Ramarley Graham

August 10, 2013 Ramarley's Parents, www.change.org Educate! Police abuse

On February 2, 2012, NYPD Officer Richard Haste followed our son, Ramarley Graham, home, broke down the door, and killed him in front of his grandmother and six-year-old brother. Haste claims he believed Ramarley had a gun, yet no gun was found at the scene. The defense says Ramarley was running from NYPD officers into his house, but video footage from that day clearly shows he was NOT running. A Bronx grand jury has failed to indict NYPD Officer Richard Haste for killing Ramarley Graham, but we are not done fighting for justice for our son! Please sign our petition to the Department of Justice today!

Oregon Jury Denies Occupy Protesters’ Police Lawsuit

August 10, 2013 Nigel Duara, www.miamiherald.comm Resist! Occupy, Police abuse

A seven-person jury has found the city of Portland and two of its police officers not liable for an Occupy Portland protester's injuries. The Oregon jury took four hours to return a verdict saying that the officers did not use excessive force when one of them struck protester Liz Nichols in the throat with a baton and the other one sprayed her open mouth with pepper spray. The officers' defense team said in closing arguments that the police were doing their job in a difficult situation during the November 2011 protests. Despite the loss, Nichols' attorneys say they're happy that the issue has been aired publicly and that attention has been trained on the police reaction to demonstrations.

Miami Beach Police Tase Teenage Graffiti Artist to Death

August 9, 2013 Aviva Shen, www.thinkprogress.org Educate! Police abuse

A celebrated 18-year-old graffiti artist died Tuesday after Miami police shot a taser into his chest, the Miami Herald reports. Israel Hernandez-Llach was something of a prodigy on the Miami art scene, who had won acclaim for his art and recently launched his own line of specially designed skateboards. By night, he was a graffiti artist known as “Reefa.” The Miami Police Department has undergone federal investigation for its misconduct twice in the past 7 years. The latest Department of Justice investigation found that officers routinely used excessive force when confronting suspects, leading to avoidable deaths.

Third Night Of Protests, Blockades In Nez Perce Country

August 8, 2013 Staff, www.earthfirstnews.wordpress.com Resist! Energy, Police abuse

Protestors with the Nez Perce as well as Wild Idaho Rising Tide and Idle No More turned out for a third night of demonstrations against the illegal megaload’s passage through Nez Perce country. Yesterday’s police was the largest yet, taking the side of Omega Morgan rather than the law. According to Wild Idaho Rising Tide, the police were “more forceful this time. Using their cars and phalanx tactics they forced a way through the crowd and broke the blockade faster than on other nights. The megaload took off and fled, tail between its legs, and proceeded to break laws (AIDED by the cops!) and endanger people all the way to get itself off the Res. before stopping for the night, terrified of facing the Nimipu on yet another night.”

Activists In DC Identify Long-Term Police Protest Infiltrator

August 6, 2013 Mike Elk, www.inthesetimes.com Educate! Infiltration, Police abuse, Surveillance

Lacy MacAuley, an activist and media manager for the Institute for Policy Studies, has suspected for the past several years that a protester named “Missy” was an undercover cop. “Missy” seemed to be at every protest, but no one knew her. However, MacAuley had no way of proving her suspicions. Then, in November of 2012, MacAuley was at a bar on U Street when a friend recommended that she follow a Twitter account of a funny person with the handle @snufftastic. MacAuley immediately identified the user in the photographs as the person she knew as “Missy.” The user Tweeted frequently about the daily grind of being a police officer in DC. MacAuley says she then spotted Rizzi as “Missy” at an anti-Keystone pipeline protest at the Canadian Embassy on March 21, 2013. That was when MacAuley decided to approach Jeffrey Light, an attorney who works on police misconduct issues, with her suspicions. Light and his law partner Sean Canavan began searching for evidence to peg Rizzi as an undercover police officer.

«1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 »

Daily movement news and resources