BRONX, NY, May 20 — “Do you want to march to the precinct?” “Yes!” came the resounding reply from 200 people who rallied at the home of Ramarley Graham, a black teen brutally gunned down in his apartment bathroom by NYPD officer Richard Haste on February 2, 2012. The Graham family was joined by relatives of Shantel Davis and Kimani Gray, two Brooklyn youths shot and killed by the NYPD in the months following the Graham tragedy.
The rally became an open forum when Ramarley’s family asked the community to speak out about their experiences with police in the area. One said the cops broke down her door, arrested her and left her grandchildren unsupervised. The point was made that the cops are doing their job — to terrorize working-class people. The families of Kimani, Ramarley and Shantel called for multi-racial unity, explaining how this struggle has become bigger than the fight for justice for just these particular victims of police terror, advocating the need for mass action.
The last speaker, a PLP member, boldly called on the demonstrators to “break the law” and challenge the bounds of the legal system. While previous speakers mentioned capitalism and the “system,” he reviewed the historic role of communists in fighting racism and the need for a truly equal society — communism.
After the rally ended, hundreds took to the streets in the Wakefield community chanting, “Killer Cops, You Can’t Hide, We Charge You with Genocide!” The march was enthusiastically received along White Plains Road. Hundreds of CHALLENGES were distributed along the route of the march. Just as in Brooklyn’s Flatbush communities, workers are sick and tired of the police.
At the precinct, we were greeted by cops on the rooftop of their steel fortress-looking station. While some speakers said not all cops are bad, many in the crowd declared that they are ALL guilty. People started pointed to the cops and chanting, “If you see something, say something!”
We greatly admire the strength and courage of the family members of these youth murdered by the police. We invite them and all of you to join with Progressive Labor Party in building this movement to smash the system that has stolen the lives of their children and family members. We will continue to advance those ideas at these rallies and counter the politicians and preachers who seek to mislead the struggle.