August 13, 2015
Chicago, IL – More than 50 people representing 20 different organizations gathered August 12, to make final plans for the August 29 march to stop police crimes.
Organizations present included the Chicago Teachers Union, Anakbayan (patriotic Filipino youth), Arab American Action Network, Black Lives Matter, Black Youth Project 100, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicagoland and Fight For $15.
Jeff Baker of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression referred to the goal of the march to win an elected, civilian police accountability council (CPAC). He said, “This march has clear demands which cause the powers that be discomfort.” LaCreshia Birts of the Alliance explained that her objective is that this protest will launch the movement to win CPAC, and “that people will leave the march knowing how to continue the struggle for community control of the police.”
The rally at the march will feature survivors of torture and families of victims of police crime, including Carolyn Johnson, mother of police torture survivor Marcus Wiggins, who was present at the meeting.