The Executive Committee of Refuse and Resist! joins with the people of Cincinnati in expressing their outrage against the brutal police murder of Timothy Thomas. Timothy's mother, family, friends and many others including the R&R! Chapter of Cincinnati, The Black United Front, Anti-Racist Action, Citizens for a Humane Economy and the New Black Panther Party went to the City Council meeting on Monday, April 9th, demanding answers! However, city officials, including the Chief of Police, were unable to provide answers for this unwarranted and vicious abuse of power- one more instance of the national epidemic of police murder as documented in the book, Stolen Lives killed by law enforcement. So, the frustrated people of Cincinnati flooded the streets and took them back.
Over the past week the people of Cincinnati have faced chemical attacks, rubber bullets, beanbag pellets, and strict curfews at the hands of the police but STILL they have continued to resist injustice. Refuse and Resist! has been on the streets with the people of Cincinnati protesting yet another stolen life. We encourage the people of Cincinnati to continue their righteous and spirited protest. Those who resist should be supported, not targeted!
Protestors have been vilified for their angry reaction, but where is the rage coming from? The rage of the people is mandated when in Cincinnati alone there have been 15 police murders of black men since 1995, six slain since September 2000. Cincinnati suffers from the highest murder rate by the police per capita in the country.
People will express their outrage to injustice in many ways and Refuse and Resist! supports doing this. Today, as the politics of cruelty intensify, it is extremely important when people stand up against injustice and repression. The situation in Cincinnati cannot be pushed aside as an "isolated incident," or a "freak occurrence." The murder of Timothy Thomas is an outrageous example of the authoratarian force that is becoming the norm, and the courageous resistance of the people of Cincinnati if an inspiration to us all. It's right to resist! No more Stolen Lives!
Executive Committee of Refuse and Resist!
April 13, 2001
[posted 4/14/01]
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