Protest AGAINST Beat the Badge 5k Run in Dekalb County, Georgia

September 28, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

On Saturday, September 26, the Dekalb County Police Department (a large county in Metro-Atlanta) held a 5k event called Beat the Badge. The first line in the ad for the event jokes, “Have fun legally running from the police!” What?!? What a sick fucking joke! This is the same police department that within the past year gunned down Anthony Hill, a 27 year old veteran who was unarmed, naked, and suffering from bipolar disorder. This is the same police department that busted down the door of Kevin Davis, shot and killed his three-legged dog and then turned the gun on HIM… all of this because Kevin called 911 to respond to an altercation that had taken place against his girlfriend by a roommate. Within the past few months, Dekalb police have killed unarmed Troy Robinson, Tasering him while atop an eight-foot wall, causing him to fall and break his neck. Just weeks ago, when responding to a “burglary,” Dekalb police broke into the wrong home, shot the homeowner, his dog, and another cop… the only bullets fired were those of the police!

Have fun legally running from the police!
FUCK YOU!

The disgusting irony gets even nastier. The donations from the event go toward raising funds for $100,000 life insurance policies for cops! And the grand finale to the event: the unveiling of the new K-9 Cop Dog memorial!

A small group of demonstrators with #RiseUpOctober and the Atlanta Revolution Club pulled together a last-minute protest to call out this outrageous celebration of murderous cops. The protesters stood in the pouring rain at the entrance of the police headquarters holding the large Stolen Lives banner with the faces of people killed by police from around the country (including several by Dekalb police), along with large posters with the faces of Anthony Hill, Troy Robinson, and Kevin Davis. They chanted as the runners passed: Anthony Hill. SAY HIS NAME! Kevin Davis SAY HIS NAME! Troy Robinson. SAY HIS NAME! SAY THEIR NAMES!

All of this takes place within the larger counter-offensive that has been spoken to in Revolution newspaper. The system and its media are fighting to flip the script and paint the police as victims, while slandering and blaming the movement against police terror for increased attacks on police and an up-tick in crime rates. Actions like the protest in Dekalb are extremely important in challenging people: WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON? Are you down with the cops killing the people without consequence or are you for STOPPING it? We must raise this question powerfully to people in the next several weeks. The momentum leading to #RiseUpOctober, particularly October 24 in NYC, needs to expand quickly. This must happen. Literally, lives depend on it. 

 

 

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