Activist group says structural racism is at the very core of the American criminal justice and policing system, and must end before the healing can begin.

Milwaukee - Citizen Action of Wisconsin stands in solidarity with the family and friends of George Floyd, thousands of protesters across the county, and every person who loves humanity, in demanding that the four offers involved in his murder be swiftly brought to justice.

We strongly agree with our compatriots and our fellow People’s Action affiliate, Take Action Minnesota, that the protests in Minneapolis and in many other cities are “demonstrations of our pain and a cry for justice. It is an old pain borne of the historic, violent, publicly funded oppression of Black people... George Floyd should be alive today and prosecuting offers for his murder is the beginning, not end of justice.”

It is hard for us to believe that anyone other than a police officer would be able to avoid immediate arrest when such damning video evidence of a crime is available. The four day delay in the officer responsible being arrested and charged, and the failure to charge (as of this writing) the other officers who stood by and watched a murder, has badly damaged public confidence in the investigation and contributed to the turbulent events on the streets of Minneapolis. Before we can even begin to heal, justice must be brought to the four police offers involved in this racist murder and anyone else who tried to cover it up.

But the healing cannot stop there, because what happened to George Floyd, and all the other victims of publicly sanctioned racist murder we have come to know over the last decade, is ultimately caused not by a few bad apples but the structural racism that is at the very core of the American criminal justice and policing system. The system of mass incarceration grew out of the backlash against the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s, and has made the  U.S, the most incarcerated and over-policed country in the history of the free world. Only a massive shift in resources away from the publicly funded oppression of Black people, poor people, the Latinx community, and many many others and invested in our communities and a humane, antiracist, and just system of public safety.

Newly formed group re:power was born from the ashes of tragedy, comments on the events of the week, calls on the media to refocus the narrative on justice for George, and supports activists and protestors on the ground.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered. By four Minneapolis police officers. George was unarmed, handcuffed, and lying face down on the ground. Three officers pinned George to the ground, and one pressed his knee into George’s neck and kept it there for more than 8 minutes. The fourth officer stood over them and did nothing to intervene. George begged for his life, as did concerned citizens on the street. The cries for mercy went unheard, and cellphone video captured the last minutes of George Floyd’s life.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered by officers sworn to protect and serve. They were fired from their jobs, but that is not justice for taking a life. Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison has asked us to wait “until all the evidence is available.” Millions of people around the world have seen the video... and the consensus is no additional evidence is needed. As of this writing, only one officer has been arrested. All four officers should have been charged immediately, and the fact that they were able to walk freely, while George’s family plans his funeral, is an injustice that has, rightly so, pushed people to the edge.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered. Protesters began to gather, peacefully, to demand that his murderers be brought to justice. They were met with officers in riot gear. The police response to this call for justice is in stark contrast to the way ReOpen Minnesota protesters were treated earlier this month, as they called for the state to ‘return to normal’ in the midst of a global pandemic. Those protesters—mainly White folks, some of whom were heavily armed—were praised by the federal government. Our folks, who are seeking justice not just for George, but for all of us who continue to fight for social and racial justice, have been labeled as ‘thugs’, and the President of the United States has called for the shooting of citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago George Floyd was murdered, a mere 2.1miles away from re:power’s headquarters. Our history as an organization, from our days as Wellstone Action is deep in the Twin Cities. Our staff lives near the site of George’s murder. Our hearts and support are with the individuals and organization on the ground, working for progress.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago, George Floyd was murdered. Sadly, his name is not the only name we speak. Tony McDade. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Sean Reed. Steven DeMarco Taylor. Rekia Boyd. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Trayvon Martin.

The list is too long—and these are only the names we’ve heard about.

re:power was born from the ashes of tragedy. As Wellstone Action, for years we trained leaders, in Minneapolis and throughout the country—preparing them to lead with courage and conviction. Now as re:power, we still train leaders, but we focus clearly on dismantling the oppressive systems that uphold anti-blackness and white supremacy. Our organizing lens is centered at the intersections of all forms of oppression. Because we can not remove the true lived experiences of anti-Black racism and white supremacy from our politics and leadership. And as re:power, we are holding our elected officials accountable.

That’s why we’re calling on AG Keith Ellison, a Wellstone alum, to be the people’s lawyer and bring charges against the other three officers immediately.

We’re also calling on the media to refocus the narrative on justice for George. Understand that uprisings are not acts of violence and connect your stories to protesters’ pain, fear, and anger, boiling over in the face of anti-blackness and continued racial and social injustice. As activists on the ground continue to chant: No Justice, No Peace.

Lastly we’re calling on our community to stand in solidarity with folks on the ground. We are asking you to give your support to these three groups that are actively supporting activists and protestors on the ground.

• Black Visions Collective believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in the right relationship within our ecosystems.
• Reclaiming Our Block is calling on Minneapolis to invest in violence prevention, housing, resources for youth, emergency mental health response teams, and solutions to the opioid crisis—not more police.
• Minnesota Freedom Fund is a community based nonprofit raising bail funds for protesters on the ground.

A man was murdered this week.

Just four days ago, George Floyd was murdered. Our hearts go out to his family. We demand justice be served.

In solidarity.