By Roger Wareham
On Friday, June 19t h , the December 12t h Movement is holding a 12 p.m. Black Power rally at City Hall to demand “Defunding of the New York City Police.” Defunding is one of the key concrete demands that have arisen from the ongoing nationwide uprisings against police terror and structural racism catalysed by the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
D12 member Iman Essiet stated, “ We are having this rally on Juneteenth to remind our community that the modern police department has its origin in the “Slave Catcher Patrols that were set up to capture and return enslaved Blacks who had escaped their captivity. It is that racist mentality that allows them to still kill us with impunity.”
She went on to say that, “The idea of defunding the police comes out of Black people’s frustration with the failures of reforms put in place to pacify the community every time the police murder an unarmed Black person over the years.
“It is time to redirect the billions of dollars budgeted to the police to community-based organizations and social agencies which are equipped to address issues such as drug abuse, domestic violence, children’s behavior in schools, mental health, homelessness, unemployment and poverty.” She was skeptical of Mayor DeBlasio’s promise to cut the budget of the police and stated. “Only a mass demonstration by the people of New York City can bring enough pressure to ensure that the Mayor and the City Council will meet the community’s demands to take a step towards ending police terror by “defunding the New York City Police Department.”
She said anyone who wanted further information should call (718) 398-1766 or check out the website www.d12m.com .
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