News on Eric Garner

New York stands up for the victims of police

Gary Lapon reports from New York City on a demonstration demand an end to the epidemic of police violence and win justice for victims of brutality and abuse.
08/25/2014
Socialist Worker

CARRYING SIGNS with messages like "Black Lives Matter" and "We Are Human," thousands of New York City residents and people from the surrounding area marched in Staten Island on August 23 to demand justice for Eric Garner and other victims of police brutality and violence.

The attitude of those on the march was summed up by Leah, who said, "We're tired of our young people being shot and killed for no reason other than racism. We're not savages or animals. We're not going to take this anymore. Every time a young man gets shot, we're going to come out."

Families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Attend Staten Island March for NYPD Accountability

08/23/2014
Latin Post

Five thousand people are expected to attend the "We Will Not Go Back" march on Staten Island on Saturday to call for justice for Eric Garner, who died after being put in an illegal chokehold while being arrested by a New York City police officer.

Joining them will be Rev. Al Sharpton, former Gov. David Patterson, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the families of both Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the teenager killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri earlier this month.

Justice Caravans will bring attendees from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Brooklyn.
The march on Saturday, Aug. 23 is being organized by the National Action Network, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, The United Federation of Teachers, and the NAACP. The march is endorsed by hundreds of organization, including the New York Civil Liberties Union and Communities United for Police Reform.

For immediate release: August 23, 2014

CPR Statements Re: March against Police Brutality on Staten Island

Re: March against Police Brutality on Staten Island

“Police brutality that has habitually victimized and killed people of color must come to an end. Justice must be served in the killings of Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, Mike Brown and so many others. The double standards must end with police officers being held accountable for unjustifiable, violent acts in the same way that civilians are held accountable.

De Blasio administration defends 'broken windows' policing after Daily News analysis, but says it should be 'respectful'

A spokesman for the mayor credited broken windows — which calls for aggressively enforcing quality-of-life offenses to prevent more serious ones — with driving down crime to historic lows. A Daily News analysis found black and Hispanic residents were over
08/05/2014
New York Daily News

Responding to a Daily News report that found minorities were overwhelmingly targeted for quality-of-life summonses, the de Blasio administration defended the “broken windows” crimefighting tactic Monday — but said it should be used in a “respectful” way.

A spokesman for the mayor credited broken windows — which calls for aggressively enforcing quality-of-life offenses to prevent more serious ones — with driving down crime to historic lows.

Soul-Searching at the NYPD After Eric Garner Death

Following the death of Eric Garner, arrested for selling loose cigarettes, the police have faced a barrage of criticism for the practice of tackling petty crimes
08/01/2014
Epoch Times

NEW YORK—The death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner from an apparent chokehold during a police arrest has put police–community relations in the spotlight nationwide.

On Thursday the two sides met. Activists and city council members rallied outside City Hall, while the mayor, police commissioner, and community leaders met inside.

The activists are going after a policy they see as ultimately responsible for the death: broken windows policing, but the topic was largely sidestepped by the administration today. Clearly, it’s sensitive.

For immediate release: August 5, 2014

STATEMENT FROM COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR POLICE REFORM

In response to a press conference and statements by NYC police unions regarding the death of Eric Garner and incidents of police brutality, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“While New Yorkers mourn Eric Garner’s death and demand justice, the same police unions that have consistently stood against common sense reforms are wildly lashing out and making appalling statements that blame and criminalize victims of abusive policing to distract from the real facts and issues. The truth is that they failed to protect officers, and thus the public, from a NYPD quota system that contributed to the explosion of stop-and-frisk abuses.

Advocates Rally Against Police Brutality and Broken Windows

07/31/2014
New York Observer

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton have vowed to re-train police officers following the death of a 43-year-old Staten Island man in police custody.

But for some, that simply isn’t good enough.

“I am here today to send a message to Commissioner Bratton—training is good, training is not enough,” City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez said during a rally led by Communities United for Police Reform.

Bratton Dodges Questions About 'Broken Windows' and Dante de Blasio

07/31/2014
New York Observer

When it came to the mayor’s son and the “broken windows” theory, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton didn’t have much to say today.

The typically gregarious police chief declined to offer any extensive comment on Rev. Al Sharpton’s fiery charges at a round table hosted by Mayor Bill de Blasio this morning. Mr. Sharpton claimed that Dante de Blasio, who is half black, would have been the target of an NYPD chokehold if he weren’t the mayor’s son.

Mayor Bill de Blasio addresses police-community relations after Eric Garner death

07/31/2014
News 12

NEW YORK - Mayor Bill de Blasio hosted a roundtable on police-community relations following the death of a Staten Island father while in police custody.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, Rev. Al Sharpton, Staten Island clergy members and residents attended the meeting at City Hall to comment on the death of Eric Garner.

Garner's death was caught on video, which shows him being brought down by an officer in an apparent chokehold, sparking a citywide uproar over police tactics. Garner was under arrest for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes.

For immediate release: July 31, 2014

Community Leaders & New Yorkers Impacted by Discriminatory Policing Demand Full Accountability for All NYPD officers Involved in Eric Garner’s Death, Zero Tolerance for All Police Brutality

Groups call for de Blasio Administration to do more than just new NYPD training to prevent police brutality, end discriminatory and abusive Broken Windows policing

New Yorkers impacted by discriminatory policing were joined by elected officials and community leaders on the steps of City Hall to demand that all NYPD officers involved in the incident leading to Eric Garner’s death be held fully accountable, and that the de Blasio administration enforce zero tolerance for all police brutality and halt discriminatory, abusive broken windows policing. “The police brutality that stole Eric Garner from his family, and has taken the lives of so many other Black and Latino New Yorkers must end,” said Priscilla Gonzalez of Communities United for Police Reform. “Serious change is needed that proddvides full accountability for all the officers responsible and ensures there is zero tolerance for all police brutality. The de Blasio administration must also come to terms with the role broken windows plays in the abuse of communities of color. The hyper-enforcement of minor infractions that disproportionately targets communities of color must end for police-community relations to truly improve in any meaningful way.”

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