In the Streets Against the Outrageous Verdict on Police Murder of Philando Castile:
“On Trial: The System. Verdict: Guilty!”

On Friday, June 16, soon after the outrageous “not guilty” verdict was announced for the pig who murdered Philando Castile, 2,000 angry people gathered on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol. The crowd, including people of different nationalities and many with children, took off for a march through the streets. People carried signs like “Justice is dead” and “On Trial: The System. Verdict: Guilty!” People chanted, “If we don't get no justice, they don't get no peace.” And protesters yelled at the police, “Who do you serve? Black lives, they matter here! Black lives, they matter here!" About 500 people poured onto Interstate 94 in St. Paul, blocking traffic on both sides, and 18 people, including two journalists, were arrested.

On Saturday, protests continued for a second day in Minneapolis. About 200 people were in a Solidarity March Against Police Violence and White Silence through the downtown streets to the police department, stopping light rail trains and sitting in at intersections.

In New York City, up to 300 people rallied in Harlem and then marched 60 blocks to Trump Tower. The rally and march came at the end of the annual Juneteenth parade and celebration. The action was called by Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, Revolution Club NYC, Refuse Fascism NYC, NYC Democratic Socialists of America and others. Speaker after speaker denounced another cop walking free that had murdered a Black man. Noche Diaz spoke for the Revolution Club. Speakers from Black Lives Matter of Greater New York made a point of welcoming white people to the protest and said the murder by police of Black people is not just an issue for Black people but is an issue for all people. One of the organizers announced that Philando Castile’s mother was watching the rally via livestream. Several times people poured into the streets on the march and then pushed by police who threatened arrests.

More than 200 people held a rally and speak-out in front of City Hall in Oakland, California. Chanting "Black Lives Matter" and "No Justice, No Peace," those gathered held fists in the air and pledged that they will act and not become complacent to the ongoing police murders and that they would not be silent as these murdering cops are exonerated. The protest was organized by a 16-year-old high school student who constructed her own Facebook page after she heard about the verdict. A woman whose son was murdered by the California Highway Patrol recounted the police lies and cover-up, saying that the epidemic of police murder has to be stopped. A friend of Brownie Polk, a carpenter shot and killed by Oakland police, related the facts of his killing. A Black woman, a nurse, told how her husband, a manager at a large hospital, was repeatedly targeted by the police. She said that every day she fears for the lives of her two sons. 

In Chicago, the Revolution Club rallied in the downtown Loop, with Carl Dix of the Revolutionary Communist Party speaking. Then the Revolution Club marched to the entrance of Millennium Park, where American flags were burned as people gathered around. A Chicago Sun-Times article on the protest, including a photo of the flag burning, said, “The group claimed the flag stands as a symbol of oppression and white supremacy.”

In Los Angeles, the Revolution Club protested in the South Central neighborhood with a dozen others who joined their call, including animal rights activists who had just heard about the action on social media.

Stay tuned to Revcom.us for ongoing coverage.

ENOUGH!

Enough of a system that can't function without its enforcers wantonly murdering hundreds of people, mainly Black and Brown, each year and rewards the pigs who do this! Enough of a system which can’t convict a pig videotaped murdering Philando Castile. Enough of a system that can’t get justice for Oscar Grant, even after his murder was captured on videotape. Enough of a system which can't prosecute police who are videotaped shooting Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old Black child, for playing in a park; which can't prosecute police who are videotaped choking Eric Garner, a Black man, for refusing to be degraded on the street; and on, and on, and on...

And enough of this system with its new all-out fascist regime which aims to put this nightmare on steroids, a regime that says it will fully unleash its enforcers to carry out even greater crimes against Black people, and against humanity, while aiming to wipe out any ability to protest and resist.

Enough!

Stay in the streets! Justice for Philando!

Drive Out the Fascist Trump/Pence Regime!

Revolution, Nothing Less!

Protesters have occupied intersection of 3rd St and 1st Ave. @StarTribune pic.twitter.com/Mx1DRnWqys

— Aaron Lavinsky (@ADLavinsky) June 18, 2017

June 17, 2017. Minneapolis. Credit: Twitter/@ADLavinsky

"The whole damn system is guilty as hell. Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail!" #PhilandoCastile #DriveThemOUT pic.twitter.com/G6THrrY13i

— #NoFascistUSA (@RefuseFascism) June 17, 2017

NYC, June 17