Baltimore, MD, August 27 — Supporters of justice for Tyrone West — 44-year-old black worker beaten to death while in police custody in July, 2013 — chanted, “Can’t stop! Won’t stop! Till killer cops are in cell blocks!” They also expressed anger about the police murder of Michael Brown. Solidarity was strongly voiced in support of the struggle for justice in Ferguson. There were frequent chants of “Hands up! Don’t shoot!”
Every week since Tyrone’s murder, family members and supporters have rallied, demanding prosecution of the Baltimore City police and Morgan State University police who took the life of another black man after what began as a traffic stop.
Tyrone’s sister Towanda, who spoke at this week’s powerful rally, had previously explained, in accord with reports by eye witnesses:  “My brother was dragged out of the car by his dreadlocks, and was called the ‘N’ word on several different occasions.”
Witness Ayesha Rucker said that it started when both plainclothes cops arresting Mr. West began punching him at the same time, as he stood waiting to be arrested. Ms. Rucker then explained that he was sprayed with mace or pepper spray as he screamed for help and attempted to escape. When about 10 officers arrived for backup, she said, they tackled Mr. West, and an officer kicked him in the face.
Another witness, Shawanda Wilson, said that after Mr. West tried to escape from the initial beating and spray, and ran a short distance to an alley, officers caught up with him and started beating him with batons on his head and back. Wilson further explained that numerous officers, some from Morgan State University, arrived and also began to beat the man.
Yet another witness, Duane Bond — a rising sophomore at University of Baltimore at the time, and a class representative — said he was at a relative’s house and had gone outside when he heard women screaming. Bond said he “vividly remembers” one of the officers “cocking his arm all the way back, and laying a haymaker [forceful blow] on the man. At this point, he [Mr. West] was already definitely down, and I didn’t see any movement.”
Witness Shawanda Wilson further explained that the officers backed away and a policeman could be seen performing CPR on the man. She said West was bleeding from his mouth.
At this week’s rally and march, one participant was Abdul Salaam. He is a survivor of a beating — barely weeks earlier — by the same exact cops who initiated the beating that led to Tyrone’s murder.
State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein has decided NOT to pursue charges against any of the cops involved. This is not an isolated incident. Bernstein has never prosecuted any officer for killing workers. In fact, over 100 people have been shot by Baltimore police since 2005. None of those officers have ever been taken to court, let alone found guilty.
Tyrone West was unarmed, just like most other people who are killed by the police. He didn’t deserve to die.
For over twenty years, the city required youth to be home during summer nights. Last week, it launched a more fascistic curfew requiring all youth under 14 to be indoors by 9 pm (those under 16 by 10 pm).
Among many other powerful speeches at this week’s rally, a member of Progressive Labor Party spoke. He pointed out that a black woman, man or child is killed somewhere in the United States approximately once every 36 hours by police, by security guards, or by self-appointed law enforcers, like George Zimmerman, the racist killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012.
The PL’er said that this murderous racism exists because the capitalist system needs racism to justify paying very low wages to a large part of the working class. In fact, about a third of corporate profits are a direct result of this system using millions of black workers as cheap labor. Keeping racism alive is a life-and-death necessity for capitalism. For us, the opposite is true. Defeating capitalism and defeating racism is a matter of life and death for our class, the working class!  Communist revolution is what we need!