PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 23 — Albert D. “Audi” Purnell was murdered by a racist Philadelphia cop. Hospital workers here are supporting their co-worker Albert Purnell, Sr., demanding justice for his murdered son. PLP members and friends are actively involved in this struggle. On June 15, we took part in a march to the office of District Attorney Seth Williams to demand that this racist cop be brought to court. On June 23, we attended a meeting of the Philadelphia City Council where Audi’s parents demanded justice for their murdered son. But to the racist Philadelphia cops he was nothing more than a black animal that they could slaughter at will.

When we first started talking to co-workers about this racist murder we ran into some cynicism. Some responded “Why would the police murder him?” What was he doing?” We decided to continue talking with these workers patiently. As more of the details of the murder are coming out, the cynicism of these workers is starting to soften.

Many who are black are under pressure from crime in their neighborhoods. They want to believe that the police will deal with this problem if they are given a free hand. This is the basis of support for Mayor Nutter’s “stop-and-frisk” policy. This idea that the role of the police is to protect workers from crime is an illusion.

The murder of Audi Purnell and the wave of racist police shootings of black men occurring here give our Party the opportunity of exposing the true role of the police under capitalism. The KKKops protect the private property and power of the capitalists and the racist system that produces hundreds of billions in super-profits. As the capitalist system fails, black workers will feel the brute force the hardest because of the inherent racism in this system. The bosses know that black workers are a potential revolutionary force that could lead all workers to overthrow this rotten system. The police  have always been used not to protect but to terrorize and keep them from fighting back!

The more militant workers at our hospital supported Al Purnell, Sr. from the beginning. A number of them showed up for the June 15th march. Unfortunately they are attracted to the leadership of the National Action Network (NAN). NAN is calling on the police to break the “blue code” and inform on corrupt cops. They are also calling for a “master” from the federal government to police the police here.

We will struggle with workers to understand that racist police terror does not come from individual corrupt cops.  It is part and parcel of the racist capitalist system. Under capitalism the federal government cannot be any less racist than the city government. Capitalist survival depends on racism and