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Photos From a March to End the War on Black Lives

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Organizers from the People’s Power Assembly, Caribu Vague and Larry Holmes, addressing the crowd yesterday at Herald Sq Saying the NYPD would “Round them up and use their bodies as commodities, We resist”. The crowd repeated,, “We Resist”. “We resist a system that looks to make capital off of our being, we resist the mass incarceration of our people. They don’t want us, they want to make a buck off of us.”

At least 200 or more demonstrators in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement came out yesterday at Herald Square to tell the public that Mayor De Blasio is not the progressive leader he tries to portray himself to be.

From the event page:

NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio has presented himself as the progressive leader in the battle against Trump’s Racist policies, telling New Yorkers to keep protesting and giving his support. However, it is Bill DeBlasio who condemned Black Lives Matter protesters, reinvested more money into the NYPD without demanding any substantial changes, and continued the racist policies that facilitate collaboration between ICE and the NYPD. It is DeBlasio’s support for Broken Windows policing that puts Black and Brown lives at risk in New York City and has facilitated the recent raids against Immigrants of Color. These policies will only further lend support for Trump’s declarations to reinstate ‘Law and Order’ which is code for more militarized policing and criminalization of people of color and protesters. Don’t believe DeBlasio for a second when he claims he will ‘confront’ Trump. DeBlasio’s support for the violent, racist NYPD and for the continued gentrification of New York makes it clear which side he’s on. It’s time to tell Trump and DeBlasio that this is OUR city.

OUR DEMANDS:

Stop all NYPD cooperation with ICE
End racist Broken Windows policing in NYC
Abolish the police!
Reinvest the $5.5 billion annual budget of the NYPD into New York’s Black and Brown communities for housing, healthcare and education

Called By:

People’s Power Assemblies, NYC Shut It Down, Why Accountability, Hoods 4 Justice and International Working Women’s Day Coalition

Endorsers include:

ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and Racism)
Black Lives Matter Greater New York
Equality For Flatbush
Party for Socialism and Liberation
Teach Dream

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Another organizer, Heather, spoke about “white supremacy is waging a war on black and brown people in this country.” She spoke about many people believing “change” would come when Obama was elected. It was said that if one “good” thing came out of Trump’s “election” was that “It finally shattered the myth that we were living in a more ‘progressive’ society”. But, many people have “known all along that the United States is Racist as Hell since day 1.” It’s not just in the south, it’s in NYC. “Just because slavery and Jim Crow has been abolished doesn’t mean that the systemic institutional racism in our society simply has taken another form”. “THE SYSTEM IS NOT BROKEN, IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE THIS WAY”.

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Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes with the People’s Power Assembly told me why the event was being held and the issues it was addressing, “For one, ever since Trump came to power, 60 or 70 days ago, there has not been a #BlackLivesMatter demonstration. So, we’re here on April Fools Day to say, Hello, the #BlackLivesMatter movement is still alive, we’re still fighting for justice for all black and brown people who have been targets for police terror and violence.”

“We’re also critiquing the mayor of this city, De Blasio, who ran as a liberal and acted as though he was sympathetic to us who are facing police oppression. But, after a little time the police scared him and now he does their bidding. And anything they want to do to black and brown people; beat em up, shoot em, that’s ok with him. WE’RE EXPOSING HIM, HE’S A PHONY LIBERAL. He’s really like Trump in another face”.

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The demonstrators marched from Herald Square to the HighLine at W 23rd Street and 10th Ave chanting for the liberation of queer, women, workers, black, brown, and the poor.
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Jason Harrison

Jason Harrison was a black male struggling with mental health issues who was shot and killed by Dallas police in 2015. One of the two officers called to the scene tells Harrison to drop the tool, a command the officers repeat at least four times as Harrison’s mom screams, “Jay! Jay! Jay!” Within five seconds of that first command, the 39-year-old schizophrenic man is shot five times — including twice in the back as he crashes headlong into the home’s garage door, just a few feet from his mother.

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Demonstrators stopped by the Midtown Precinct chanting, “Black Lives they matter here, Refugees, they matter here” and “Our Streets, our blocks, we don’t need these killer cops”. This photo of a demonstrator having dialogue with a member of NYPD expressing they they are rallying.
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Outside of Midtown Precinct NYPD bring out the loud speaker repeating over and over that demonstrators should move to the side walk or risk arrest and be charged with disorderly conduct.
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Christopher Weedman was arrested for what, It wasn’t exactly clear, outside the Midtown Precinct yesterday during the #BlackLivesMatter demonstration beginning at Herald Square. I witnessed a cop pull Christopher off the sidewalk and begin to arrest him.
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#BlackLivesMatter demonstrators climbed the stairs to the High Line at West 23rd Street and draped their banner over the side while chanting, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!”

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The young and the vulnerable have been and are being systematically commodified and killed to keep the fake $ system going. I lived it as a youth and stood up as best as I could by myself. I had no on on my side. That was decades ago and today it’s gotten even worse. Capitalism must be stopped. If it isn’t, it will destroy the planet and all it’s resources that we all need to live. People will be forced more and more to turn on each other, to make enemies out of one another just to have a job. The only job will be to “profit” off of doing harm.

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