On October 22, 2024, Dare To Struggle held rallies and marches in 6 cities marking the national day of protest to stop police brutality. From coast to coast, we brought forward family members and loved ones of police violence victims to speak up and demand killer cops be punished. From the below reports from our chapters, we can see the beginnings of a revitalized and relaunched mass movement determined to put an end to police brutality, murder, and terror—one that relies on the people directly under the gun to take their place as leaders in the struggle, in opposition to all grifters and opportunist forces.
New York City, New York:
Brownsville’s finest pigs arrested 15 people at the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality in NYC. 50 people gathered in Betsy Head Park yesterday for the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality. Family members of people killed by police-including Eudes Pierre, Allan Feliz, Antonio C. Armstrong, Matthew Felix, and Dario Diodonet-spoke about their loved ones, exposed the brutality of their murders, and demanded justice for them
People from the Brownsville neighborhood who joined or stopped by the protest spoke about the harassment, unwarranted stops, beat-downs, unjust arrests, and frame-ups by what many people call the worst police precinct in NYC. Others spoke about personal experiences getting brutalized by police and in prison.
We marched through the neighborhood chanting “Protect Your Block Against Killer Cops” and “Jail Killer Cops” calling on people to stand with families, demand justice for people killed, and intervene to stop the relentless police violence in the neighborhood. The protest marched directly to the 73rd Precinct, the home of the hated police that harass, stalk and brutalize people in the neighborhood.
After under 20 minutes of chanting and denouncing the NYPD’s 73rd Precinct while the police stood like robots behind barricades, the 73rd Precinct pigs showed what people in the neighborhood face on the daily. They came out in force and viciously attacked and arrested anyone they could get their hands on. They pushed into the crowd, shoved people down, and slammed heads into the pavement. Someone just walking by the protest was tackled by multiple cops and tazed while he was held down on the ground.
A total of 15 people were arrested and some were treated for injuries. The fact that people were brutalized and arrested by the NYPD on the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality exposes that police brutality remains an epidemic, and that all the promises of politicians for reforms have done nothing to solve the problem.
We Demand
- Drop all charges against the 15 people arrested outside the 73rd Precinct during the October 22nd National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality!
- Charge the cops who attacked the protest with assault and for violating constitutional rights!
- Charge the cops who shot up the Sutter Ave subway station on September 15th!
Los Angeles, California:
More than 50 people rallied at City Hall, led by families and loved ones of people killed by police. Many of these families lost their loved ones in the last year – including the family of Hugo Cachua, an unarmed Latino man who was murdered by an off-duty LAPD officer in Ontario. The families of Francisco Nunez, Ernie Serrano, Eugene Youngblood, and Alejandro Campos Rios also denounced the murderous pigs and demanded justice. As the march stepped off onto Spring Street, towards the LAPD headquarters, the chant rang out “L-A-P-D, WHY DO KILLER COPS GO FREE?” and “Indict, Convict, Send the Killer Cops To Jail, The Whole Damn System is Guilty As Hell!” When the crowd got to LAPD HQ, an effigy of a pig and a “Blue Lives Matter” flag went up in flames, as many people cheered and chanted “burn, baby, burn!” and “killer cops, there’s only one solution! Fuck the pigs, we need a revolution!
Chicago, Illinois:
Around 25 people gathered in front of the 11th Precinct (home of the killer cops who stole the lives of Dexter Reed, Reginald Clay Jr, and London Marquez to name a few) to rally against police brutality. Three powerful speeches were delivered from families: the mother of Alexis Wilson (Cara Wilson), the mother of Alteriq Pleasant (Vickki Willis), and the family of Isaac Goodlow III, as well as speeches highlighting the criminalization of Puerto Rican youth and the repression of protesters
“The mayor, the police, of course they lied about everything,” Cara Wilson said in her speech, “They criminalized Alexis and its taken almost 3 years before anyone’s reporting what actually happened that night in that car. So not only do they kill your loved ones but then they drag their names through the mud. They try to make it look like it was something they deserved.”
After the rally, a vigil was set up to honor all the stolen lives taken away from us by the pigs.
New Britain, Connecticut
30 people gathered at Central Park in New Britain for the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. The family of Katherine Colon, who was hit and killed by New Britain Officer Connor Reinsch in September 2023, was present at the rally in large numbers. Maribel Rodriguez, the daughter of Katherine Colon, spoke out about the caring and strong person her mother was, the demands of her family, and condemned the pigs, politicians, and attorney general who protected her mother’s killer and tried to put the blame on Katherine herself. “Our Mayor and chief of police have the ability to fire the officer, yet they uphold and justify this killing, its truly disgusting“. Along with this, speeches about the history of O22 and the criminalization of homelessness were given. After the speeches, many came up to speak during an open mic about the brutality they’ve experienced from the police.
Then we marched to the police station a block away. On the way we chanted “Stop the killing, stop the lies, NO MORE STOLEN LIVES!” and “N.B.P.D you let killer cops go free!” On our way to the station some people noticed a cop looking down on us from the station who then ran out of his office, presumably to lock the front door. When we got to the station initially, the front doors were indeed locked. In front of the police station we chanted the names of several people who had died from police murder in the state of Connecticut, got the attention of cars passing by who honked in support, and taped up the portraits of those who have died in Connecticut to the front doors of the station. We ended with a moment of silence for the lives stolen by police and people left with a sense that this was the start of a movement being built, that this wasn’t just a one-and-done event.
Taos, New Mexico
More than a dozen people gathered in front of the Taos county Courthouse on October 22nd to demand justice for those slain by the police. The family of Mariah Voigt told the harrowing account of their daughter being shot by the Albuquerque police department while trying to surrender with nothing but a cell phone in her hand. They described how the city coldly notified them of the execution of their daughter and forbid them from attending the press conference. The family described the heartless tone of the press conference “chief of police Harold Medina bragged about murdering Mariah, they seemed proud.” When asked what justice for Mariah looks like her family said “the cop who killed her being in prison”. Others spoke about how they and their loved ones are beaten by the police and racially profiled. The group chanted and called for justice for all those murdered by police in New Mexico.
Alameda, California
We went door to door in Alameda Point (AP), one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Bay Area. 11 people mobilized at Jean Sweeney Park in Alameda to demand Justice for those lives stolen by killer cops. Our speak-out began with demands for justice from Charlotta, whose son was murdered by police in Oakland just last year! 1She hasn’t gotten any answers from the police and we plan to help her get the justice her family deserves. We all came to comfort Charlotta when her emotions spilled over into the small crowd. A member of Berkeley Cop Watch, people from AP, and a couple from Laney College came out to speak on their experience with Police brutality, how they want to get justice and to make posters for those lost to police brutality that we will bring to future actions. Mo exposed the brutality of the police in jails by speaking out against the officers who beat him while handcuffed in his cell when he was only 17. Mo urged families to reach out to Dare to Struggle and get involved in this monumental struggle to Stop Police Brutality.
“”The movement they are pushing, is Monumental. It’s gonna move a mountain! And you’re gonna hate to miss it.” – Mo S.
Dare to Struggle 