NO MORE POLICE BRUTALITY at JJs Funeral

May 18, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

From readers in Chicago

Saturday, April 25, some of us in the Revolution Club in Chicago went to the funeral of Jeffery Kemp (JJ) murdered by police in Chicago April 17. He was 18 years old when he was murdered.

Jeffery was shot once in the back by the police and the bullet went straight through his heart, killing him. On top of the outrage and pain of the police murdering another young man, some of us knew Jeffery. He had marched, together with his high school class, in the 2013 October 22nd National Day to Stop Police Brutality.

We couldn’t even get into the chapel where the funeral was being held because so many people came out for JJ. We held the Stolen Lives banner, with JJ’s picture included, outside the funeral home together with some of Jeffery’s friends. After the service ended, many people came up to talk about how police murder could be stopped. People spoke of their outrage, sadness, and anger and what was going on from South Carolina to Baltimore. We passed out a handful of whistles—some of the guys were too cool to take them but a number of young women took them.

Then the police came to mess with people gathered outside the funeral home, something police often do in Chicago at the funerals of people they have killed. Some who had gotten the whistles and understood what they were for began blowing them. Handfuls of whistles were now being grabbed up and passed around. Soon the whistling was deafening. People were surrounding the police. The two police cars that came in initially were forced to back off.

Then police backup came. People were dancing in the street, whistles blowing joined by shouts of “Justice for JJ!,” “Fuck the Police!,” “Fuck 12.”

One cop pulled out a can of mace. A young mourner stood right in front of him shouting “mace ME!” The commander made the cop put the mace away.

Police withdrew to the top of the street. Police dogs were brought in. POLICE DOGS! ON BLACK YOUTH! Just like in Birmingham back in the day! The dogs never got used.

After a tense standoff, plenty of photo opportunities, and dancing, people got in their cars and drove off, police dispersed. No one was arrested.

Justice for JJ!

Police Murder Must Stop!

Indict! Convict! Send the Killer Cops to Jail! The Whole Damn System is Guilty as HELL!

Fight the Power, and Transform the People, for Revolution!

 

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