By Anne Pruden
New York City — Surrounded by federal courts and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building on one side, and local and state courts on another, protesters gathered today, October 22, for a rally at Foley Square for the 23rd National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality/Stolen Lives rally.
Protests and gatherings were held in several other U.S. cities as well. In New York, an induction ceremony honored the lives and families of people killed by law enforcement.
Mostly innocent people of color have been murdered, explained Juanita Young, speaking here of her son, Malcolm Ferguson, who was killed at their Bronx, New York, home in March 2001. She said the police had no reason to murder her son and that the cop even openly admitted this.
“Why isn’t he in jail?” asked Young. “Our kids’ lives are stolen for no reason!” Other parents also spoke about losing a son or daughter at the hands of racist police, as supporters came together to uphold the memories of those killed.
This militant rally then took to the streets to tell the nearby communities of the need to build a strong movement to stop police violence and murders, chanting “Rise up! Stop police terror!”
Strong demonstration!