Enough is enough!

by Sam Drew/PNN

"The family of Oakland is bleeding the blood of unrighteousness, stolen lives and police brutality," Keith Shanklin from the Executive Board Ship Clerks Association, said somberly to a justice minded audience huddled in front of Oakland City Hall on the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation on October 22.

Shanklin spoke about the killing of Gary King Jr., who was shot in the back in Oakland on September 20,2007 by Oakland Police Department's Patrick Gonzales. Gonzales "took from us one of Oakland’s finest sons," Shanklin strongly declared.

The scope of this rally, however, spread far beyond the local level, as faces of police brutality victims from all across the country were placed on the stage with their names and details of their killings. The rally and march to stop police brutality was simultaneously being held in various cities across the country to show how each victim's story is intertwined with other victims' stories no matter what state they reside in.

One of the most recent stories of police brutality and misconduct occurred in Chicago, where two videotapes surfaced showing off duty police officers beating a female bartender. Before the videotapes surfaced there was the usual denial and foot-dragging. After the two videotapes surfaced, Chicago's police superintendent said he would change the way the department responds to allegations of misconduct including moving faster to get officers accused of misconduct off the street.

Seven months later the Chicago Police Departments elite Special Operations Section, was disbanded amid much scandal, including charges that the S.O.S. officers robbed and kidnapped people, and one that accused an officer of plotting to murder another. Adding to the Chicago Police Departments woes is word from federal prosecutors that they are investigating claims that homicide detectives, tortured suspects into confessing to murders that landed them on death row in the 1970s and 1980s.

This gathering in the heart of Downtown Oakland is the continuation of a crusade to fight back against the nationwide epidemic of police brutality and repression rampant in poor and oppressed neighborhoods. Family members of police brutality victims lent their courageous voices and indefatigable spirit to this momentous movement of resistance against the encroaching police state.

The family of Gary King, Meshra Irrizary, mother of Idriss Stelley who was killed by San Francisco Police Department, Danny Garcia, brother of Mark Garcia who was killed by SFPD, Frank Rosenberg, father of Richard who was killed by Fremont Police and Mirna and Julio Ayala, parents of Julio who was killed by South SF Police spoke to the crowd and led the powerful march through the active streets of Oaktown ending at the steps of the Oakland Police Headquarters.

As we marched and chanted, "Stop the Killing, Stop the Lies No More Stolen Lives," citizens on the sidewalks shouted words of approval and raised fists in solidarity, while others joined the march swelling our numbers and strengthening our voices.

Once we arrived at the refurbished police headquarters speakers declared their unwavering demand of justice for all the families who have lost ones to the escalating tide of police brutality and corruption. We chanted,"Peace For Gary," at the top of our collective lungs letting everyone inside OPD headquarters know our desire is for peace for everyone on the streets of Oakland. But without justice there can be no peace. We then shouted, "Justice For Gary." This let elected officials in Oakland and statewide know that the police officers committing these deadly crimes can’t hide behind the blue code of silence. They will be held accountable for their actions.

Mesha Irrizary, Director of Idriss Stelley Foundation, Police Accountability Direct Services, told everyone to, "Protest the code of silence and corruption." She also informed all about the origins of the modern day police departments by stating,"The original police were the slave catchers…the plantation is alive today. We’re going to put him (Gonzales) behind bars. We will be back. We will petition congress and start a class action suit statewide. We will see the end of the plantation in Oakland and country wide."

Revolutionary poet and POOR Magazine writer, Dee Allen told the crowd filled with dozens of receptive high school students. "Cops like Patrick Gonzales they follow an unwritten law. Subdue your target by any means necessary." Allen also read his uncompromising poem, Unwritten Law, for the families of all those police brutality victims.

Keith Shanklin, returned and reminded all that the fight to take back our streets will not be silenced as he steadfastly proclaimed, "We will meet in front of Oakland’s City Hall every Thursday at 3 p.m. from now on."

At the conclusion of the uplifting rally and march a shy young man spoke to the crowd directly from his heart about the criminalization of a generation and police brutality.

Brian simply said while looking at the many photos of police brutality victims, "I don’t know anyone in these pictures, but when someone gets shot 50 times (Sean Bell New York City, a 23 year old unarmed man shot 50 times, killed on his wedding day) how is that necessary? Enough is enough!"

For more info or to get involved call 415.336.2801