Within days of the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country. This is an uprising of ordinary people demanding fundamental change.
We cannot rely on the same political establishment that got us here. The carefully-crafted statements and promises from local Democratic politicians stand in stark contrast to decades of inaction on police violence and inequality, bloated police budgets, and the damning records of Democratic Governors, Mayors, and City Councils who hold power in nearly every major city where racist police brutality and gentrification are dominant features of life in low-income neighborhoods.
To win systemic change, we need continued mass protests with accountable leadership that can fight for and win concrete demands:
We demand:
The immediate arrest and prosecution of the four MPD officers involved in the murder of George Floyd.
NO to lifting the consent decree on the Seattle Police!
Ban the use of chemical weapons by Seattle Police.
For an elected community oversight board with full powers over hiring, firing, subpoena, and policy and disciplinary procedures.
No return of the North Precinct police bunker and close the Youth Jail!
Cut Seattle Police budget in half and fund social and restorative justice programs.
No Austerity for social programs! Tax Amazon and big businesses to fund housing, jobs, the Green New Deal!
No Coronavirus evictions: Cancel all rent, mortgage, and utility payments for the duration of the crisis.
Our movements will need our own political representation independent from corporate politicians. We need a new party for the working class and marginalized communities.
To end police brutality, racism, and economic inequality, we will need to organize against the capitalist system itself, which lies at the root of all oppression and exploitation.