Justice for Stanley Miller
Call to action against LAPD
Following are excerpts from a call to action by the Los
Angeles International Action Center in solidarity with the
Black community to help end police terror.
In view of the latest publicized beating of
yet another Black person, this time 36-year-old Stanley Miller,
by the Los Angeles Police Department, this is a call for a
coordinated action to keep the pressure on the police, mayor,
governor and federal government and show these bodies that the
Black community and its allies in this country will not
tolerate any further police terror, which has become normal
policy.
The LAPD has increased the frequency of terrorism and
beatings against the Black community since the Rodney King
verdict in 1992. Tyisha Miller, Margaret Mitchell, Donovan
Jackson are just some of the Black victims of police brutality
who made the headlines. Many more have not. Black people,
especially youth, are routinely harassed and insulted by the
LAPD's violence.
Unfortunately, after a blatant display of racist terror by
the police has been exposed, like clockwork, the state and
local governments put into motion the machinery of
"lullification." They pick and choose who they will negotiate
with and who will be anointed as the most fit community leaders
to work with--"fit" meaning those who will discourage militant
action and protest.
And, like clockwork, the Justice Depart ment will send its
community control overseers posing as civil rights advocates to
assure the family, friends and allies of the latest victim that
justice will be forthcoming. Then, the stall begins and with
that stall, anger turns into hopelessness, action into despair
and exhaustion. Three or four weeks later militant action is no
longer feasible since a demand for justice has turned into
nothing more than a whimpering plea to the powers that be.
Stanley Miller, whose victimization by the police on June 23
was videotaped and shown throughout the day on local channels,
had surrendered. He was not resisting when Officer John
Hatfield, a seven-year department veteran, kicked Miller in the
head, then landed 11 potentially fatal blows to Miller's upper
body and perhaps his head. Nothing Miller did before he
surrendered could possibly justify that psychotic rage, yet
time and time again that same type of reckless endangerment by
armed police against the lives of oppressed peoples is
witnessed in the communities of Watts, South Cen tral, Comp ton
and East Los Angeles.
In fact, it is almost exclusively reserved for those
communities, with police who are well armed and display
contempt and hatred for the people there. The slightest
altercation could be fatal.
This is not a police force that protects. This is an
occupying army. Miller's type of encounter with the police
under the cover of isolated and dark streets does not usually
get exposed but for a chance recording on videotape; however,
for Black and Latin@ people, this occurrence is all too
familiar. It is yet another example of racism in its deadliest
form.
The LAPD presents a clear and present danger to the lives of
especially Black and Latin@ people here in Los Angeles.
Meekness and apathy in the face of brutal attacks against these
communities invites further abuse and even death to the people
living there. What is clear is that militant demonstrations
under the leadership of these communities with uncompromising
solidarity from the progressive movement must be built. But it
must not be an action solely for the purpose of headlines for a
day. Equally important is its capacity to build a united
network of organizations and activists dedicated to fighting
police and state terror against the Black and Latin@
communities here.
This Friday at the Parker Center could be a significant
contribution towards that type of action. The International
Action Center is organizing a press conference and rally at 12
noon on July 2 with representatives from labor, anti-war, civil
rights and community organizations to make a stand and speak in
solidarity with leading Black organizations and activists--all
dedicated to sincerely fighting police brutality and its root
causes.
In unity there is strength and protection from those who
would harm our loved ones. A more humane world is not possible
unless each one of us feels secure and safe from harm and
hunger. The time is now.
Initial signers:
International Black Coalition for Peace and Justice,
Coalition in Solidarity with Haiti, West Papuan Network, Inter
na tional Action Center, Latinos Against the War, Bayan
Reprinted from the July 8, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
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