In response to an appeal and a public outcry, the State of Illinois has now granted a permit for the special event, “Stolen Lives Families Demand Justice” to be held on March 2, 2016 at the Thompson Center on the concourse level from noon to 1 p.m. sponsored by the Stop Mass Incarceration Network (SMIN). Last week, the State of Illinois denied this permit. Many people – ministers, students, activists and the families of those whose loved ones were murdered by police were outraged that this event would be denied a public space indoors to conduct their program. This is a very important victory and all those who want to see an end to police murder should be there today.
NEWS FLASH: Permit Granted for Chicago Day of Resistance! Wed.March 2nd https://t.co/2DaSbQhLMb #stoppoliceterror pic.twitter.com/Edp0iThmiM
— StopMassIncarceratio (@StopMassIncNet) March 2, 2016
There are two major actions on March 2: 12 noon to 1 p.m.: “Stolen Lives” Families Demand Justice. This special event calls on people to join with the families whose loved ones were killed by the police to dramatically bring to life the humanity of those lives through song, testimony, poetry and visual images. This event will be held downstairs, on the concourse level (near the food court) inside the State of Illinois building (Thompson Center) at Clark & Randolph in downtown Chicago. 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. No Business as Usual As long as Murdering Cops Walk Free. Meet up at State and Jackson, downtown Chicago. People will gather for an action “no business as usual as long as the business of usual is cops killing people with impunity.” At this event, organizers plan to disrupt the evening rush hour. March 2 will mark 500 days since the police murder of Laquan McDonald. In the three months since the video of the execution of McDonald was forced into the light of day, there has been video after video of street executions by police, the tasing of prisoners to death in jail, the story of the police double murder on the morning after Christmas, cover-ups reaching to the very top, and threats and slanders against families who have bravely spoken out amid tears and rage. Then the police officer who killed Quintonio Legrier counterattacked by suing his family because supposedly he, the cop, suffered emotional trauma after gunning down the 19-year-old college student! The reign of unpunished police terror and murder continues, and the question before everyone is what is gonna be done? Which side are you on? The Stop Mass Incarceration Network is a project of the Alliance for Global Justice, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more info, see stopmassincarceration.net
