Protest organizers speak about next steps and state demands
No you already
Hello
Thank you for coming out without press conference where we're
going to talk about our demands
But first we want to take a moment of silence
for all the laws lives that have been lost at
the hands of police violence to all of the people
who have been dehumanized degraded beaten and broken because of
unchecked police violence
You would like to take a moment of silence
Thank you
My name is Attorney Dawn Blade Grove
I'm the executive director of Emancipate INSEE
I along with all of the groups behind me came
together and coalesced around a set of policy demands that
we think is necessary and long overdue to ensure that
the people of North Carolina and America who are black
are not abused and battered by law enforcement with no
accountability
We have We came together as a group around this
set of policy demands that we want to see happen
and brought together thousands of people who peacefully stood with
us and we stood with to demand change
This is the moment every generation every race every creed
every color was with us one Saturday for four hours
harvesting the power of the people to demand change
And so we all stand here today empowered by the
power of the people driven by the people to set
out a set of policy demands that we believe will
help change the culture of law enforcement and most importantly
help protect all citizens equally not just in North Carolina
but in America as a result of the power of
the people
Governor Cooper brought this group of folks on behalf of
the people together because he heard the people
He saw the people and understand it
Understood
Excuse me that now was the time to move
So he listened
And what we shared with him where the demands that
we're going to share with you right now fires we
demand we the people demand that North Carolina create legislative
or executive policy that will allow police oversight boards across
the state toe have subpoena power
It is necessary in order to breach the trust that
has been broken between the community and law enforcement for
there to be a redistribution of power a redistribution of
power between locally elected officials law enforcement and the people
A citizen's oversight board with subpoena power the power to
investigate grievances
The power to issue rulings and results the power to
be at the table when policies and decisions are being
made about who will be law enforcement officers in our
communities and who will remain to have the trust that
the community has put in them to serve us with
respect and with dignity In order for that to happen
The very first step is that we need subpoena power
We need to redistribute the power to the people as
it relates to police accountability
That is our first demand
Thank you
Lastly I would like to say if you care if
you are someone who wants to stay involved again my
organization is emancipating
See Go to our website sign up for our newsletter
and our action alerts
If you want to take next steps join us
Thank you
Good evening
My name is Carmen Pittman
I'm the founder and executive director
Reps
Recidivism reduction educational programs services also with social justice activities
What you are seeing today is a change in the
time police who challenged police accountability across the nation
What specifically right
You in the city of Raleigh in a state of
North Carolina
With this coalition that we have full and many more
that will be joining
We were now demand
We're not asking
We are demanding that change is going to call our
second domain
We would like the immediate removal off Chief of police
Cassandra get brown
It is time for her to go no longer where
we sit idly by while the citizens are brutalized
No longer will we remain silent while she remains silence
to the injustice
I understand
And we understand that police in sometimes can get much
what to always stand on the side of your offices
Even when they do wrong is purely unaccepted
And there will be no draconian rule
No more
Them days are over
So what do you see right now is a change
in the tide and Robbie police support me
Lead us here
We'll ask
We're demanding that Cassandra Deck Brown
Step to the side
Not only just us as a coalition you could see
by the turnout for the actions that has been perpetrated
against individuals
Walk peacefully exercising their constitutional rights for kids to be
shot with rubber bullets and gas is unacceptable and will
not be tolerated
And we will not stand for this for nobody in
a leadership position and Reilly police Department to speak up
against
That is not itself
And we know that action start from the hit down
So we're asking
We're demanding
Excuse me
That the chief of police Cassandra Deck Brown step down
Step to the side
No longer will we tolerate the injustice that has been
perpetrated against the people and the citizens off Wake County
and Rob thank you
If you would like to follow more and get involved
please go to my website
Rips that net r r e p s dot net
for next steps or follow me on social media at
Kerwin hitting
Thank you
Good afternoon
My name is Dana Baloch
I am the co founder of Yap Young Americans protests
I'm here today alongside everyone else to say we demand
and we are no longer asking As Kerwin said for
the end of over policing in the black and brown
communities to stop building police police sites in black communities
and to stop the over policing and terrorism ation of
both black and brown communities
What you saw yesterday when the police sent flash grenades
when they shot people with rubber bullets when they tear
gas teenagers and L
The elderly was the militarization off police
This is not new
This is what they have been doing to black communities
every single day in Raleigh
It's not just it
We're done talking about the rest of the country right
now
This is happening in Raleigh and it is not new
It has been happening for decades
The police have militarized and as a Muslim woman who
has seen and grown up with the different images of
wars off countries around the world this is what it
reminds me up
And this is what has been done
What they're doing right now is a complete militarization off
Raleigh
They are making sure to put people down and to
make sure that our voices are not hurt and the
media not the media
The Raleigh Police Department is lying about what's happening
They are making
There are blatantly lying about the protesters
They're putting out news that more stuff is happening in
North Hills and Triangle Town Centre and that is false
The protesters are peaceful and they are mainly teenagers
They are young people wanting to exercise their right
But the police have used military type force against them
and we no longer will accept that because that will
come back into our communities
Once again I am Sana Baloch the founder of Young
the co founder of Young Americans protests
And if you'd like to follow us we are yeah
underscore Agent on Instagram and Young Americans Protests on Twitter
Actually thank you
Good afternoon
I stand here today as Greer Web the co founder
of Young Americans protest along with Sana Baloch as well
as the co founder of North Carolina Town Hall an
event that occurred after the Parkland shooting of 2018 and
that has ballooned into racial gun violence and environmental and
housing action
Across the city of Raleigh and the triangle area I'm
a rising sophomore student at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and along with our 1st 3 demands
are fourth demand is this
Our fourth demand is as follows that the state of
North Carolina put pressure on and that local municipalities take
no time but to enact right now immediately policies from
the police departments sponsored by the City Council in town
councils across the state that require that make it mandatory
right now that when a police officer observes another officer
over using his force violating the rights of another violate
violating the rights of a suspect violating the rights of
a detainee
As was seen as was evident as was obvious in
the George Floyd case that they step in that they
stop the violence especially when the suspect is already detained
and in handcuffs that they step in when overuse of
force is used
And if they do not that they are fired that
they are fired
We must We must have this change start from the
state level and trickle down
It must be demanded by city and town councils across
the state of North Carolina and it must be proposed
by police departments and police stations across the state
Again that demand is as follows that the state of
North Carolina puts pressure on local communities city councils and
town councils to force our police departments to require that
when an officer is on the scene and sees the
overuse of force being committed against a suspect or detainee
especially not only but especially one already detained or in
handcuffs
And that officer does not step in that upon immediate
review by hopefully one of the demanded community boards with
subpoena power and investigative power that that officer then be
fired and removed from the force not selling some folks
earlier
Right now my voice is tired
I was out there on Saturday
I was out there with protesters yesterday on social media
calling folks talking to folks making sure that we continue
putting the pressure on the state
The city of Raleigh the capital city of the state
specifically to allow folks to demonstrate peacefully
But you all my voice is tired
I want my eyes to be tired from reading policies
that are enacted that were demanding
I want my fingers to be tired from flipping through
the pages of policies being told that are going to
be implemented to us by city and town councils
I want my ears to be tired by police chiefs
Cassandra Deck ground in particular in all North Carolina police
chiefs telling me that they are gonna fire officers that
over use force
I want my eyes again to be tired from seeing
some of these militant police officers lay down their weapons
like they have in Minnesota
Lay down their weapons like they have in Michigan and
come walk with us enforce the peace and show that
you're on our side
Stop facing off with us and firing tear gas when
a word that you don't like it spoken your way
that is unacceptable were demanding that officers step in when
injustices occurred
And that is our fourth demand
Again I am tired but what is not what I
am not tired of is protesting
I'm not tired of supporting these folks behind me
I am not tired of seeing visualizing the North Carolina
community coming together for what's right
I will never get tired of that again
My name is Greer Web
I'm the co founder of Young Americans Protest and NC
Town Hall
A quick Google search will pull up the social Media's
for both of those
I'm a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and now you will receive our final
demand
Thank you
Good afternoon
My name is Faizal Khan founder of Carolina Pete Center
What we saw last week George Floyd is unacceptable
Is brutal barbaric All those three police officers
I need to be indicted and prosecuted and brought to
justice
It's not only brutal it's barbaric act of terrorism and
the law enforcement that are in a position to protect
and serve the community are marginalizing and targeting black communities
Let's be very clear
This is not an isolated incident
We've been seeing this for months for years for decades
for centuries the constant marginalisation discrimination institutionalized discrimination at every
level against the black communities
And I think it's very clear that country is tired
and sick of the intense violent brutality by the police
officers
They need to be held accountable and they need to
be prosecuted
Ato highest level what we're seeing in Raleigh
It's horrible
being part of a peaceful rallies and protests and for
police to come out and use violence military style violence
It's unbelievable
This is not a war zone
These are communities with hopes and dreams and aspirations
But let's be very clear
The hopes and dreams aspirations off black and brown communities
been systematically isolated and marginalized and crushed down
But I got news for everybody
It's going to stop now is going to stop because
the country is sick and tired of seeing I'm sick
and tired
We are sick and tired of seeing our brothers and
sisters across the country humiliated dehumanized purposely
The African American communities
The brown communities plate a vast role in this country's
economic democracy
Civil rights movement
Martin Luther King Malcolm X and there's so many others
I can go on my Angelo
The strength of our nation is in a diversity and
they should be embraced
I'm sick and tired of talking having a dialogue
It's time for action
It's time for action to bring those police officers in
Minnesota In Texas in Ferguson in L
A in New York in Cincinnati in Ohio Justice prosecuted
sentence
They used to be more accountability visibility transparency
Starting here from Raleigh we lack leadership in our city
Council
We lack leadership in the Raleigh Police Department
It is time for a change
I'm this using a word
It just changed changes coming and changes here
So when our demands is that we demand investments in
community let health and safety strategies instead of investing in
the police
We do invest in our black communities not investing by
building more police stations
They were investing by building businesses Health care facility So
our Children could be on the streets but not worrying
about police officer looking at staring at them pulling them
over not acceptable anymore
So I asked members of the community all backgrounds ethnicities
and colors and creeds to come together to stand up
Your silence is a consent to this travesty that's taking
place in this country
Enough is enough
And I ask you to join us in unity to
fight the injustices
Brutality is taking place on black communities
Thank you
Good afternoon markets
Bass
I am a resident here in Raleigh on one of
the individuals that responded to the police violence and the
continued use of force and have joined this group of
individuals as well as individuals that are even here outside
of this press conference to set the record straight on
exactly why we're here and what we're doing and why
people are responding to the violence on behalf of the
actions that took place in the murder of George floored
and in the murder of countless other residents that have
lived in North Carolina have a lived experience similar to
the George Fluid experience One thing that we are hearing
from our local leaders is very questionable this notion of
our community and our city
What we have seen over the past two days from
elected leaders is the definition of two cities on the
night of Saturday that afternoon in which thousands of residents
took to the streets that was our city
Our business owners are individuals that attend school in various
capacities here and Riley our Children our community leaders
What followed after that on behalf of the police violence
that ensued was our community responding toe violence
As we have seen time and time again there is
no need to talk about any violence or damage to
property without properly setting the record straight on what insinuated
the violence to begin with which is the police violence
and murder of black lives
Individuals that are forming any type of protest violence or
non violent are responding to the violence that happened at
the hands of the police
We believe thoroughly in everyone's amendment toh vote
We saw a reopened movement in which thousands of people
took to the streets
Some enforce not met with the violence on behalf of
the police that the residents and Riley received and across
the state in the country received on Saturday
The demands are specific
The demands are not new demands
These demands have been asked by advocates and networks across
North Carolina and across this country
And for us to stop and just look at a
broken window and not look at the person that started
the violence the racist element that continues to perpetuate not
just the police system but all systems that govern how
we move in a quarter's toe
This country we are recognizing the wrong problem
There are individuals that were there on Saturday that have
been connected to this movement that are dedicated to responding
and we're going to call up certain individuals
And we also want to recognize that the protest and
demonstration in the streets is gonna be equally met with
action toe organize galvanized galvanized galvanized and mobilized individuals around
the specific demands and issues
There's a Hall of City hall meeting on Tuesday
Individuals are already planning actions to participate in the City
hall
Individuals are submitting questions for our local leaders
The time to act would have been before the violence
the time to act and held the city call meetings
and have the conversations
It was long before tomorrow but we're asking residents to
step in that space in other spaces to continue to
elevate the demands that concerns the two voices that you're
going to hear now represent some of the many stories
of individual that took the streets with the thousands of
individuals in North Carolina across not just Riley but in
cities in North Carolina and across the country and tow
add a narrative along with the media that was with
us in the streets to see the police
Violence can help lay the story better than the press
conference that we heard the day immediately following the actions
by our city of Riley
The first speaker will be the landing Vandegrift Are you
Yes when things questions after good afternoon
My name is Delaney Vandergriff
Today we're morning George Floyd Rianna Taylor and Ahmad are
very and the thousands of lives lost due to the
negligence of our government and their greed here in Raleigh
were still mourning Akyel
Dinkins were still mourning Keith Collins and many other slain
at the hands of the Rally Police Department
We're living and strange and uncertain times
But what we know for sure is that black communities
do not have to live this way and we're committed
to making sure that we see that transformation in our
lifetime
Specifically transformation in the city of Raleigh North Carolina North
Carolina and Raleigh North Carolina has had failed leadership four
years
That is failed leadership not just now but for years
Democrat after Democrat has been elected and conspired with the
rally Police Department private investors and developers to make the
lives of black people working class people of color and
poor white folks a living hell through over policing violent
gentrification and manipulation of the public
Mary Ann Baldwin
Every single statement you've released has been disrespectful empty and
cowardice
And your statement released today you said that your top
priority is the safety and security of the people of
Raleigh
That's a lie
If that were the case you'd remove the Rally Police
Department precinct in Southeast Raleigh that makes young black people
feel uncomfortable and unsafe
If you cared about safety you'd be working diligently to
demilitarize the police department
If you cared about safety the city budget would reflect
that and you would invest in building black futures and
black families
If you cared about safety you would not have implemented
a city curfew that gives law enforcement a green light
to brutalize gas and shoot Children as they have been
doing for days
Mary Ann Baldwin defund and divests from the Rally Police
Department and invest in our in our communities because you
know that this is more than just an issue of
police brutality
It's bigger than property damage
It's bigger than me
It's bigger than just a city
And you know that there will be no peace in
the city until we get justice
No justice no peace
Thank you very much
The landing
Next we will hear from late
Misha Comiskey organizer here in the city and a coordinator
of the Black and Brown Policy Network
We are still in a pandemic
Good afternoon
My name is Les Misha Whittington Kaminsky
I stand here as a black woman native to this
state and when I say native my family predates slavery
But we were enslaved
Way were Africans that came over here via a trade
route autonomous and strong
We were part of the rebellions in the resistance when
slavery took our relatives and our people and our friends
So I am here as a woman whose folks have
bled and died on this land 100 years ago there
was a pandemic similar to the one we are in
in this nation
Ah 100 years ago there was an economic spiral downturn
for this nation
And one year shy of 100 years ago our government
bombed a U
S city of black citizens Tulsa Oklahoma known as Black
Wall Street
The first city to be bound all in the midst
of a pandemic
And here we are 100 years later and the mist
of another pandemic in the midst of another rockets in
the rest of another uprising
So you mean to tell me that this is coincidence
that we are here No it is not
It is the problematic symptom of a broken system that
was built on our bets burned and our blood
This policy this system our senses
Our voting was all created to heart and disenfranchise and
murder
Black bodies
Our ancestors fought for emancipation
Our elders lead the rebuilding of Tulsa and the marching
through Jim Crow to civil rights as churches burned as
our cities burned as our buses were burned as our
bodies and our allies were burned
And guess what happened this past weekend and around the
neck Shin cities have burned
As we move through these policy spaces to discuss and
elevate these demands it is clear that it is the
people that are elevating these demands
It is the people who were demanding that we have
restitution restoration reformation and transformation off this town this city
this state and this connection because I'm sick and tired
of being sick and tired
We have been moving mutual aid because that's what our
people do
We have been moving food to folks
We have been moving water to folks
We have been moving mask because wow black people are
being shot
We are also breathing in our potential last breath due
to a respiratory illness called Cove
It because we have pre existing health disparities because of
our environmental pollution
But China won't talk about that
So as you hear these demands there is forcing there's
power because as people let's also one more thing and
I'm a step back
The narrative that were shifted this past weekend took the
true story for black brown and allies who marched like
around the walls of Jericho
We much and the police came in as supremist terrorist
groups came in
Let's also be real people
And they have contorted a narrative that steals elevates that
black people are
Watch those that black people are breaking up their own
businesses when really we need accountability
And this is a shifting I'll narrative and demanding that
our policy demands be elevated in order for our bodies
to be reclaimed in our ancestors
Brother George Flowing Rianna Taylor Ahmad our brains Keith Collins
I killed Dinkins and every other place of Please forgive
me about mispronounced a name because I am in a
place right now because this is our lives
This is a just a press conference
We go home and we are still people of color
and I will go home and I would still be
black
So I appreciate your time and this uprising will continue
because we are taking back our land and our rights
Individuals that have decided to join us please feel free
to fall into the into the crowd
You have sacrificed your time and efforts to be here
You have risked your lives during coping 19 to be
in the streets and we want to make sure that
you are galvanized with us
The individuals that have been responding on a local capacity
don't master response that we're hearing from our statewide leaders
and we're very concerned at the posturing of our local
leaders
While some of our leaders and state elected office see
the bigger picture and already speaking to that we will
entertain questions
But at first I want to make sure that we
have reiterated and stated the demands to simply number one
We demand the removal of Chief Deck Brown and the
policies below or if not if not immediately implemented
We demand the removal of Chief Deck Brown if the
policies below are not immediately implemented
We demand subpoena power to the proposed oversight boards across
the state and in Riley North Carolina to strengthen their
ability to effectively review and investigate grievances Through an RPG
policy change
We propose that no new police stations are built in
heavily black areas in that multiple stations close to each
other in heavily black neighborhood or trance forward transportation reducing
the overall policing of black communities and Riley and across
the state we demand a policy requiring officers to intervene
when a fellow cop becomes overly abusive to a detainee
and we demand and investment and community led health and
safety strategies instead of increasing investments and policies
We will not entertain any questions around any violence unless
it is originated from the violence that was started at
the hands of the police
That the murder of George Floyd at this time we'll
entertain any questions
I do want to ask you about that
I mean jumping off because I think that is You
know you talk about you wanting there to be a
truthful narrative and then we're we are seeing windows being
broken
We are seeing businesses that aren't necessarily involved in this
being damaged
Where does that play into your overall message for reform
for change I think it plays in a narrative where
the police are asked Why was it that a man
was strangled and murdered and citing the violence that resulted
in windows being broken I don't think that a single
window in downtown Raleigh or across this country would be
damaged
I don't think that a single building would be burned
if it were not for a man being forcefully murdered
in a pattern that we have seen all too familiar
not just in Minnesota but right here
So you think that having you think that this is
a result of the violence we've seen within the police
Department you think it's unnecessary kind of results of the
fact that we are seeing issues more systemic within rally
PD and across police departments cross country What we're seeing
is a lack of response to racism and police brutality
What we're seeing are individuals being choked by the hands
of police with very little response or recourse or accountability
And what we're seeing are individuals standing up nonviolently sharing
their stories of injustice standing in community with individuals across
this country
And any act that you are seeing now is at
the hands of the murderers that continue to kill black
people with impunity
So you're saying the people that are being oppressed or
not the ones that are damaging businesses
The damage that has been called that you were seeing
was sparked from the murder of George Fluid at the
hands of the police
Thank you
You're explaining you're not
I am condemning the murder of George Fluid at the
hands of the police and stating that any violence that
is spark from that murder is violence at the hands
of the police officers that murder George Fluid and the
racist system that continues to perpetuate a narrative
Blaming the people and not holding the system accountable way
are absolutely condemning violence
We are condemning the violence of law enforcement officers across
this country that has gone on since the inception of
law enforcement against black and brown bodies
We are condemning the violence of marginalising and ignoring the
pain of large portions of our community simply because they
are black brown or poor
We are condemning violence that is exposed through our political
systems that ignore our demands
Bad is the violence we are denouncing and that is
the only about violence that we should be discussing at
this moment
Because anything else that results is fruit of the same
poisonous tree
And the poisonous tree that is spawning the fruit of
violence is the unchecked wall violence that is issued every
day around this country for decades
For hundreds of years at the hands of law enforcement
So if you want to talk about violence let's talk
about the fruit
That board that violence way number of our colleagues were
hit by a rubber bullet and what we saw until
6 30 last night wasn't people where police were moving
in
We saw people singing camping father anybody
People who were there hold up at 6 30 Other
people with a different agenda showed up
Instigated police
I'm asking you with people four down glad many businesses
a second time
Are they part of your group Are they people of
your or are they outside agitator Who are they First
of all it's a racist question to assume that we
speak in monolith because we do not That is first
We do not move as a group
Contrary to popular belief there's no black meeting where we
decide what we all think believe and do and I
will say again as I will continue to say the
only violence that we need to be concerned about is
the violence that planted the tree that has formed any
other violence we have seen and then two we up
route the tree of violence which is the lack of
accountability and the lack of justice the marginalization a broken
brown and black bodies
There is no other justice
There is no other violence that matters to be discussed
until we are willing to discuss the roots of that
violence and hold the root of that violence accountable
Then we talk accountability down the line
But first we have to hold accountable the route that
spawned whatever violence we're seeing
You're let get $1,000,000 problem
If I was the chief of police last night which
means I would have been the chief of police
Ah year ago and a decade ago I would have
made sure that the people were hurt
I would have made sure I would have made
That is the answer
The answer is if I were the chief of police
I would have insured that I heard and listened and
responded to the violence of my officers
I would have ensured that I supported police oversight
I would have ensured that I created sunshine in my
office
I would have ensured that the alleges later that the
legislation was changed so that the grievance the grievances filed
against law enforcement officers were public record I would have
showed all of those things that happened
And by doing those things I would have also ensured
that no violence would have happened in the streets of
rock
No you asked me if I was the chief of
police
It wouldn't happen
That is exactly my position
Way would like to invite everyone to participate in the
town hall meeting that is going to be hosted by
the City Council tomorrow
They're individuals that have shared their stories in numerous ways
Thousands of individuals have taken to social media to express
exactly how they felt in the days when they went
out to protest
And they're also standing out and speaking out against Bilis
and all forms including police violence
I would encourage you all to join with us in
this conversation around the specific demands to really listen with
us
There was a time where they would not gas and
bombed the media
But guess what They're gassing and bombing YouTube and I
don't know if you are running the morning shift with
the night shift but what we saw there were not
bullets being marked with any names
There was violence being enacted on the citizens who is
showing their First Amendment right I implore you not to
just look at the demonstrations that are happening in the
streets
Look at the community that is gathering around and answering
the question
What to do next The community that is responding to
these demands the community that will continue to be here
long after the protest has left the streets and going
into policy and going into elected office
We ask that you join the City Council meeting tomorrow
Asked the same questions to our elected leaders
We thank you so very much for your time and
attention at this time we will conclude this conversation
Feel free to speak to any individual in the space
but recognize that the statement that has been provided that
you have heard here is a statement and coordination with
the coordinators that have been doing the nonviolent work with
the community long before this moment and will continue to
do that long after this
So if you don't get those demands that you want
what do you think will happen if we don't get
those demands in that very first demand will be acted
upon until the city leaders that hire and fire those
in power and law enforcement are in the right position
to make the right decision based on the people
Are your individual questions please I think