No Justice for Michael Brown
Grand Jury Fails to Indict Officer Darren Wilson of Murder
Washington, DC – Tensions remain high in Ferguson and all throughout the country after the grand jury announced today that Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the murder of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. APALA is disheartened by the decision to allow a police officer to kill an innocent black male and not be charged for the crime he committed. Black lives matter and anything less than a murder charge is not justice served. Without justice, Ferguson and people across the country are committed to organizing and APALA is proud to stand with them.
The militarization of police departments across the country continues to instill fear in communities of color. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency on November 17th in advance of the grand jury verdict. The people of Ferguson who organized peaceful protests and weekends of resistance will face further cases of police brutality as Governor Nixon activated the National Guard to do what the Missouri State Police deem necessary under Executive Order 14-14 to appropriately respond to any reaction.
People of color of all ages and ethnicities will be met with tear gas, clubs, and even rubber bullets for speaking out against the injustices minorities face living in America. “Regardless of the fear tactics that the government and police department will enforce, our collective voice will not be silenced,” said Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President. “We are all Mike Brown, black lives matter, and we will not stand idle while communities of color continue to be terrorized by the police and are treated like second class Americans.”
Self-evident police brutality and the cold blooded murder of Mike Brown exemplify how faulty the criminal justice system is. “The discrimination and criminalization of America’s police department against people of color is unacceptable,” said Gregory A. Cendana, APALA National Executive Director. “We need to stand together as one to end the cycle of police oppression in communities of color and demand justice.”
Communities of color all throughout the country will take action against what took place in Ferguson. An injustice to one is an injustice to all, make your voice heard and take part in local actions across the country by clicking HERE.
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the first and only national organization for Asian Pacific American union members to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights.
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