Behind the Mask: community forum on racist policing in Berkeley during COVID-19

While thousands of Berkeley residents were taking to the streets demanding an end to police terror, the Berkeley Police Department continued to target, harass, and violently attack people of color.

Since March 2020, there have been at least five incidents in which Black individuals were held at gunpoint or shot with lethal or potentially-lethal munitions.

Berkeley Copwatch invites you to see and hear for yourself whether Berkeley Police officers are really as expert at "de-escalating" incidents as they so often proclaim.

During the event, some of the people who were targeted by BPD will share their stories. Evidence will be presented regarding each of the five incidents, and we will be joined by members of the NAACP, Berkeley Community Safety Coalition, and National Lawyers Guild as we analyze these incidents.

Troubling questions arise:
- Why is there so little time between when officers arrive on scene and when they deploy force?
- Why was the response so violent in each case? Is there any accountability from the department when they use force in this way? Have any officers been disciplined?
- What has the department done to address the issues of racial profiling and racist policing?

Despite the department’s claims that they employ “progressive” policing tactics, these five incidents show a pattern of BPD unnecessarily escalating interactions and using or threatening to use deadly force.

In a time when communities across the country are grappling with "re-imagining" community safety, it is time for Berkeley to take a clear look at some of the alarming incidents that are happening right before our very eyes.

***Content Warning: This event will discuss and show video of police violence against people of color.***

Join the Zoom event:
Date: Wednesday, February 3 at 7pm
Zoom link: https://bit.ly/behindthe_mask
Meeting ID: 894 1304 1160
Passcode: justice
Dial in: +1 253 215 8782 US
Meeting ID: 894 1304 1160
Passcode: 3604527
*The event is free to attend, and everyone is welcome.

View the Facebook event page.

If you would like to speak out about police violence you have experienced in Berkeley, please contact Berkeley Copwatch at: berkeleycopwatch [at] yahoo.com or (510) 548-0425