PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Call of Support for March Against Police Brutality and Racism
by Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG) Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 at 4:42 PM
pog@mutualaid.org

POG calls on the greater Pittsburgh community to support youth organizers fighting police racism and brutality.

Saturday, August 26 at 7:00pm South Braddock and Schoyer Avenue in Swissvale (gather across from the Applebee's parking lot in Edgewood Town Center)

To get there by bus, you can take the 61B from Oakland

Young people in Edgewood and Swissvale have, over the past several months, become aware of a source of injustice in their communities, the local police. Out of a desire to take a more active role in their community they began talking more with their neighbors. These conversations, and subsequent personal observations, convinced them that local police are engaged in a pattern of unjust harassment and brutality against some sectors of the local community.

In response this group of 13 and 14 year olds are planning an August 26 march in order to raise awareness of police brutality, and its connections to racism. The group they've formed, Let's Stand Up, has spent the last month outreaching to the local community, Meeting with faith leaders and flyering throughout town. They also met with the local police in order to make them aware of their complaints and what they were planning. In response the police have threatened the organizers with arrest and violence if they go ahead with their plans, detained them while flyering, prevented them from filming their interactions with the police (saying they would be "arrested for interfering with official police business"), and called at least one person's parents as part of this campaign of harassment.

It's worth pointing out that on March 30, 2003 an anti-war march went through Edgewood. Literally one minute before it was scheduled to end the police attacked the non-violent crowd, pepper-spraying dozens. They then attacked people on the sidewalk, kicking and assaulting them. Later they sought to justify their brutality with completely fabricated and pathetic claims that protesters had thrown batteries.

It seems likely that the youth organizers of this action will be targeted for arrest and the possibility of violent police action exists. Those with privilege, even when due to an unjust and exploitative system they are working to undermine, have a special responsibility to support groups and communities. It is the responsibility of older activists to stand in solidarity with young people taking action, and it is the responsibility of white activists to take a stand on an issue most impacting communities of color.

Let's Stand Up- The organizers of the events can be reached at: lets_stand_up@yahoo.com

POG, the issuers of this call for support can be contacted at pog@mutualaid.org

http://www.organizepittsburgh.org

www.organizepittsburgh.org/