On Aug. 10, over 500 people attended a rally on Chicago’s west side to protest the police killing of Aaron Harrison. The community rally was followed by a militant march to the North Lawndale Harrison District police department.
Near the end of the rally, police arrived in an attempt to intimidate and disperse the protesters. In response, hundreds
|
Loud chants of “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” were repeated throughout the protest. Protestors carried signs that read: “CPD guilty! Justice for Aaron Harrison! Stop police brutality!”
Aaron Harrison, an 18-year-old African American man, was shot in the back by a Chicago Police officer on the night of Monday Aug. 6. The community responded with militant street protest the night of the shooting and the following night. The police attacked and arrested five protesters on Aug. 6.
Protesters converged on the police department both nights. A protest march also was held on the afternoon of Aug. 8.
Speakers at the Aug. 10 rally included family members of Aaron Harrison, Fred Hampton Jr., Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Paul Jakes Jr.
Aaron’s family is demanding justice for his murder and an end to the racist brutality of the Chicago Police Department.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s autopsy concluded that Aaron Harrison had been shot in the back. The Chicago Police have insisted that they shot Harrison in the shoulder. They also claim that Harrison was armed when they killed him.
But dozens of witnesses have insisted that Harrison was unarmed.
Mayor Daley has defended the police killing and backed the police department’s lies. Police have reportedly visited the homes of possible witnesses to intimidate and warn them against telling the truth.
Harrison’s killing is the latest in a string of police killings and beatings.
Two nights before, Gefery Johnson, 42, was killed in his home by Chicago cops. The police killed Johnson with a Taser gun.
For cops, brutality and murder the norm
Other Chicago police shootings in the past two years include:
In September 2005, Emmanuel Lopez, a janitor, was shot 16 times in his car after a traffic stop. In April 2006, 22-year-old Benjamin Uwumarogie, a community college football player, was shot in the head in his home. Thirteen-year-old Ellis Woodland Jr. was shot three times while he was on his way to a baseball game in August 2006. And Michael Smith, a 22-year-old, was shot in the stomach and killed by an undercover Chicago police officer in November 2006.
They were all unarmed. This is just the short list of victims.
In February 2007, officer Anthony Abbate was caught on video tape brutally beating bartender Karolina Obrycka. The video sparked worldwide outrage.
But her beating at the hands of the police is not out of the ordinary. It is the norm. It is one in a number of high profile cases of police brutality in Chicago.
The Chicago Police Department is an armed force, organized and trained to repress poor communities, especially the African American community. It is a criminal gang formed to protect the status quo of class rule and racism. The CPD is guilty of torture, murder, brutality, daily harassment and so much more.
Mayor Daley, ex-Chicago police commander Jon Burge and many Chicago cops were involved in or had knowledge of the systematic torture of dozens of African Americans in city jails in the 1980s. Torture tactics included burnings, mock executions and electrocution.
Mayor Daley continues to support police brutality. His administration is currently refusing to follow a federal court order to publicly release records of abuse complaints against Chicago police officers. At least 662 police officers have had over 10 complaints filed against them.
Racist police violence, especially targeting oppressed communities, is encouraged and continues to go unpunished in Chicago. This is also the case in cities across the country.
Justice for Aaron Harrison and his family! Stop police brutality! Fire Daley and try him for crimes against the people!
