Demands for Justice, Equality, Defunding and Control of Police Persist Against Ongoing Police Violence

Working people and activists in the U.S. continue to organize, demanding control over policing and defending rights, expressing their drive for political empowerment. Cities like Portland, Oregon; Detroit, Michigan; and Louisville, Kentucky have now seen 100 days of actions despite brutal police attacks using tear gas, batons and thousands of arrests. United actions in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; Jacksonville, Florida and elsewhere are taking place September 19, as police racism and impunity continue.

In city after city police continue to escalate situations and resort to violence, including the use of deadly force despite the requirements of the situation. Everywhere people are responding by speaking out in their own name and persisting in their demands.

These demands include full funding for social programs, such as for housing, safe schools and free universal health care, with greater assistance for those with mental illnesses. The need to defund the police and military and end militarization of the cities with their massive police presence, federal forces, tanks, fences around public buildings and more, has been demonstrated over and over again. The call for control over safety and security in the communities as well as over budgetary matters illustrate that the people have solutions and want the power to decide these matters.

As work goes forward, the decisive factor remains the people themselves, who are tirelessly working to hold police to account and who are affirming their right to govern and decide, so that new arrangements that favour the people can be brought into being.

Protests at Pretrial Hearing for George Floyd Killing Demand Justice

Organizers in Minneapolis have persisted in demands that racist police killings be ended and all involved be held to account. The killing of George Floyd is one example and the drive is to change the way safety and security are organized in communities so that the people themselves have more of a say and control.

The four police involved in killing Floyd, all fired, are now being brought to trial. Actions to demand justice continue as convictions of police are very rare -- part of the government's long-standing impunity for such crimes.

Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, is facing trial on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He remains in custody. The other three officers involved in Floyd's death are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Independent media organization Unicorn Riot reports: "The pretrial hearings for the officers charged in the murder of George Floyd [killed by Minneapolis police on May 25] began on the morning of Friday, September 11. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the courthouse and chanted for hours as several motions were heard in court."

Protesters withstood a number of efforts to provoke them. These included hecklers and having police co-defendants Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng walked through the demonstration after leaving the courthouse. This appeared to be a ploy to create an incident that would justify moving the case outside the city. This has been a common manoeuvre when police are involved done to make protest more difficult and to secure a jury more favourable to police. Such a tactic is less likely to work today given that millions are supporting the demands for justice and recognizing police brutality as a crime.

Unicorn Riot continues: "Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and three others from the attorney's office were disqualified from the case by District Judge Peter Cahill. A response statement released by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office (HCAO) called Cahill's move 'meaningless' and stated a reconsideration has been granted." Freeman is widely opposed by the people for his handling of this case and refusal to charge police in previous cases.

"A lawyer who watched the incident in person spoke anonymously to Unicorn Riot about what he thought had happened: 'That was a ploy played by the defence to agitate the crowd to prompt an incident that would allow for the case to be moved.'"

The Unicorn Riot report adds: "A rundown of the decisions made in the pretrial hearing are as follows (all decisions made are subject to change by the courts):

- no ruling on motions to dismiss charges,
- no ruling on separate trials,
- trial will likely be held in Hennepin County and not moved,
- possible jury sequestration for deliberations,
- jury names will be released after trial,
- disqualification of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, Senior Hennepin County, Attorney Amy Sweasy, and Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Patrick Lofton (they've been granted a reconsideration),
- arrest of George Floyd in 2004 not allowed for evidence,
- decision of allowing a 2019 traffic stop of Floyd will be revisited at trial, and
- Judge Cahill plans two weeks for jury selection and four weeks for trial.

"The defendants' motion to dismiss their charges is under advisement by District Judge Peter Cahill who stated the court will likely have decisions made on or before October 15, 2020. [...]"

Developments in Killing of Breonna Taylor

Mural in Louisville, Kentucky honouring Breonna Taylor and others killed by police.

Louisville is one of the cities where demonstrations have persisted without let up since May. Demonstrators are demanding criminal charges, an end to no-knock warrants, which entail police invasions of homes, and city accountability and restitution to the family for the killing of Breonna Taylor. Breonna was a 26-year-old African-American emergency medical technician who hoped to be a nurse one day. She was killed by Louisville police executing a no-knock warrant on March 13.

On September 15, the City of Louisville agreed to pay a settlement of $12 million to Breonna Taylor's family and institute some police reforms. Taylor's family continues to demand criminal charges against all those involved in her killing. The warrant approved for Taylor's apartment should not have been issued, as the person being sought by police was already in custody when police invaded her apartment and killed her in a hail of bullets.

"It's time to move forward with the criminal charges, because she deserves that and much more," Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer said.

The rights organization Until Freedom, which has been involved in organizing events demanding justice for Taylor, released the following statement in response to the settlement:

"No amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor. We see this settlement as the bare minimum one can give a grieving mother. Tamika Palmer, Breonna's mom, is a warrior. She is still fighting, as are we. The city isn't doing Ms. Palmer any favours. True justice is not served with cash settlements. We need those involved in her murder to be fired, arrested and charged. We need accountability. We need justice."

Largely as a result of the determined resistance, on September 9, Kentucky's Attorney General empaneled a grand jury to investigate Taylor's killing and determine if criminal charges are warranted. Murder charges require intent. Inability to prove intent is a common reason police get away with killings.

Despite the settlement, the city is refusing to admit wrongdoing and none of the officers involved in the raid has been charged in Taylor's killing. The city has agreed to establish a housing credit program as an incentive for officers to live in the areas they serve; to use social workers to provide support on certain police runs; and to require commanders to review and approve search warrants before judicial approval is sought, among other changes.

Beating of Rideshare Passenger by Sheriff's Deputy in
Clayton County, Georgia

On September 11, 26-year-old African-American Roderick Walker was beaten and arrested by Clayton County Sherriff's deputies. Walker and his girlfriend were passengers in a Rideshare vehicle that was stopped on a taillight violation. The driver did not have his licence on his person. The deputies then asked to see Walker's driver's licence even though he was not the one behind the wheel. "Our client was asked for his ID and he responded that he did not have it and didn't need it since he was not driving," Walker's attorney said. "He inquired why he was being asked for his ID. That response obviously did not sit well with the officer." Video taken by a bystander shows one officer holding Walker down while another officer has him in a chokehold. Another video shows one of the officers punching Walker in the stomach. At one point, Walker can be heard saying, "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die. I can't breathe," but the officer continued to strike him until he was unconscious. Video shows blood streaming down his face. Walker was taken into police custody.

News reports indicate that as of September 14, the deputy said to have beaten Walker has been fired. Jail records show Walker faces two counts each of battery and obstruction, though the sheriff's office has not said specifically what he is accused of doing.

Autistic Youth Shot by Police in Salt Lake City, Utah

Thirteen-year old Linden Cameron was shot several times and seriously injured by Salt Lake City police on September 4. He was shot in his home in the Glendale neighborhood after his mother called police to ask for assistance from a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). These teams are supposed to be trained in de-escalation tactics and dealing with people with mental illness. But in conditions where widespread police violence is given greater impunity, escalation commonly occurs, as numerous cases of police killings show.

Local news station KUTV reported, "[Golda Barton] said her son, who has Asperger's, was having a mental breakdown. They report Barton said, "'This is how to deal with people with mental health issues. So, you call them [CIT], and they're supposed to come out and be able to de-escalate a situation using the most minimal force possible.'"

The report continues, "She explained to the CIT that her son was having a mental breakdown and needed to be transported to the hospital for treatment. [...] On the phone with officers, Barton told officers the best way to approach her son:

"'I said, he's unarmed, he doesn't have anything, he just gets mad and he starts yelling and screaming. He's a kid, he's trying to get attention, he doesn't know how to regulate.'

"She said she was to stay while the two officers went through the front door of the home [...] She said in less than five minutes, she heard 'get down on the ground' and several gunshots were heard."