[Mitai-announce] Fwd: Stop Police Brutality/Protect Dissent <> Rally Fri 12 Noon <> BPD Office, 1 schroeder Plaza

[Suzanne Nguyen]

(apologies for cross postings).
Here's an event on International Human Rights Day, representing the  
efforts
of students from various campuses including from MIT.

Begin forwarded message:

>
>                       ***Please Forward Widely****
>
>                                  Rally to:
>
>                      BAN LESS LETHAL WEAPONS
>          (for use in crowd control and compliance situations)
>
>                                     &
>
>               DEMAND A CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD
>          (to address *all* forms of police brutality in Boston!)
>
>
> TIME: Friday, 12 Noon, Dec 10, International Human Rights Day
>
> PLACE:  Boston Police Dep't HQ - 1 Shroeder Plaza - Directions Below
>
> While a delegation of Boston youth, faculty, activists, and civil  
> rights lawyers
> are meeting inside with the Police Commissioner and City Councilors,  
> we will
> rally outside to bring attention to dangers of so-called "Less Lethal"  
> Weapons
> when used for crowd control (against protests and celebrations); when  
> used as a
> form of torture in prisons; and when used in everyday situations of  
> compliance
> against the city's residents. We will be marching, chanting, and  
> presenting our
> list of demands to the media. Because this is a negotiation our tone  
> will be
> critical, but respectful.
>
> When the community delegation emerges, they will give us an immediate  
> reportback
> if the commissioner has agreed to our demands or not. If not, we will  
> talk
> about the next steps that will be taken. Bring drums and noisemakers  
> so they
> can hear us inside!
>
> *******************
> OUR DEMANDS
> *******************
>
> - Ban LLW's from use in all crowd control and compliance situations.
> - Re-classify them as LETHAL, as they clearly are.
> - Demand a civilian review board (CRB) to investigate *all* forms of  
> police
> misconduct.
>
> **********************
> OUR APPROACH
> **********************
>
> 1. Are we calling to ban less lethal weapons in ALL situations?
>
> No. We fully recognize that the use of less-lethal weapons is  
> preferable when
> they are used as a substitute for lethal force. In fact, we wish that  
> police
> used them more as a substitute, as this would reduce the number of  
> police
> homicides, particularly among young African American men. That is why  
> we are
> not asking for a total ban. The problem is that these weapons are NOT  
> actually
> being use as a subsitute for lethal force, but mostly in other  
> situations
> where
> they should not be used at all:
>   
> - Protests:  LLW’s are now the #1 tool of force for crushing peaceful  
> protests
> - Prisons:  LLW’s are used against people in custody as tools of  
> punishment &
> torture
> - Pain Compliance: LLW’s are used as forms of pain compliance against  
> everyday
> people, mostly in working class communities and communities of color.
>
> The abuses listed above are resulting in widespread injuries, even  
> deaths, not
> to mention cracking down on dissent, and worsening the already inhumane
> conditions within US prisons. Therefore, we demand that LLW's be  
> banned from
> the specific situations listed above.  
>
> 2. Hasn't the commissioner done enough?
>
> The commissioner has restricted the use of a single weapon, put one  
> officer on
> paid leave, and formed 3 commissions, none of them independent.  
> However, the
> problem is not a single weapon, a single officer, or a single event,  
> but the
> entire system. That's why, in addition to the ban, we are calling for  
> the
> formation of a permanent and independent Civilian Review Board (CRB)  
> that
> allows the public to investigate all forms of police misconduct.  
> Boston lags
> behind most US cities by not having one.
>
> 3. What do you hope to achieve?
>
> There is a growing infrastructure of repression in this country, and  
> we hope to
> dismantle it piece by piece. We hope to safegaurd the right to dissent  
> in the
> streets. We hope to stop police brutality against communities of color  
> and
> working people. We hope to de-militarize our police departments and  
> return them
> to a role of protecting the public, not attacking it.
>
> For more information, or to sign the on-line petition, visit:
> www.nolesslethal.org
>
> ****************
> DIRECTIONS
> ****************
>
> Schroeder Plaza is located at the corner of Ruggles and Tremont  
> Streets in the
> Roxbury section of the city and can be easily reached via the MBTA  
> Orange Line,
> Ruggles Street stop.
>
> Map:
> http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result? 
> csz=Boston%2C+MA+02120&state=MA&uzip=02120&ds=n&name=&desc=&ed=rEFeDOp_ 
> 0Tq6xwSKAolHSrgjlaX8hY2XSBlnxYWNRS1awBlSgDnTyYmF3oYlisAMFYn7nl7sgfMeVlI 
> -&zoomin=yes&BFKey=&resize=s&mag=9
>
>
> For more information, visit: www.nolesslethal.org
>
> ***Please Forward Widely****
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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