October 22, 2007: The National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality Pre-Meeting

October 22, 2007: The National Day of Protest to Stop Police
Brutality

Please join us, along with over 50 cities nationwide, in the organization of a 12th National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. It is our day to take action to STOP police abuse of power and the movement towards a police state. These issues affect the whole of our diverse community, uniting us all under a veil of oppression. We ask you to endorse this call and become part of organizing an event in Sonoma County on October 22nd. If we don't stop the misuse of power, who will?

WHY SHOULD YOU ACT ON OCTOBER 22nd?

Early this year local police killed five residents in a mere 9-weeks. Both Jeremiah Chass, a 16 year old boy, and Richard Desantis, a father of two, were shot dead by officers responding to mental health calls. Haki Thurston, an unarmed Black man, died in a hail of SWAT bullets. Interactions with law enforcement has also resulted in the deaths of Luis Sanchez, Terry Grinner Jr., Moses McDowell, Carlos Fernandez and Walter Heller. Ryan George, a 22-year old Black man, struggling with sickle cell anemia, was left to die in the County Jail, while his family's efforts to get him proper care were denied by the Sheriff.

This pattern of deadly force is nothing new. Between April 1st 1995 and September 28th 2000, at least 22 people were killed by local police or died in their custody.

Today, Latinos are racially profiled by the Multi-Agency Gang Network Enforcement Team (MAGNET), a militarized law enforcement unit supposedly focused on gang violence. MAGNET routinely collaborates with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to deport people who are not being charged with other crimes. Even youth trying to keep themselves entertained find their clubs raided and shut down, as in the case of Epiphany, a popular Santa Rosa night spot. DUI checkpoints have become a way to sweep working class neighborhoods for lapsed car insurance and expired driver's licenses. Local law enforcement agencies collaborate to impound the cars of those who can least afford it, while benefiting financially from these impounds and tickets.

Santa Rosa Copwatch feels resisting these abuses is both necessary and possible. We request your presence at the planning of Santa Rosa's 12th National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. Our first planning
meeting is Sunday August 12th at 3pm. We propose an evening march from the Junior College down Mendocino Ave to Courthouse Square, with a rally afterwards. Your organizational presence and support is appreciated.

ORGANIZATIONAL MEET UP:

Sunday, August 12 2007 @ 3 pm
Sunday, August 26 2007 @ 3 pm

This will be the second organizational meeting. It IS open invite. We request individuals OR groups who are interested to contact us via email (if possible, as a courtesy), to let us know what level of involvement they would like to participate in.

Feel free to pass this invitation along to others you think would support these issues.