Press Contact:
Salim Adofo 347 422 7823
August 22, 2014
March and Rally to Demand: “Justice for Michael Brown”
Saturday, August 23 Rally at 7:00 p.m. in Mt. Vernon Square March to Chinatown
On Saturday, August 23 beginning at 7:00 p.m. demonstrators will gather in Mt. Vernon Square for a brief rally before marching to Chinatown to demand “Justice for Mike Brown” and stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Missouri. As daily protests continue in Ferguson, people around the country are likewise continuing to show their solidarity, and join the call for justice and in opposition to police brutality that is rampant nationwide.
The District is no exception. Rallies and marches have been taking place across D.C. over the past 10 days, from Howard University’s campus to Malcolm X Park to the White House. Saturday’s rally in Mt. Vernon Square and march to Chinatown will build on all of these events, bringing together many organizations and individuals. The initial sponsors of the event include the National Black United Front, the ANSWER Coalition, We Act Radio, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, as well as independent organizing networks that have sprung up in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing. Saturday’s march and rally are specifically demanding the arrest of Officer Darren Wilson, the demilitarization of the police, and the institutionalization of civilian review boards of the police with the right to hire and fire.
The Call to Action for Saturday explain: “Residents of the District of Columbia, just like millions around the country recognize that at the root of Ferguson are the social, racial and economic injustices that exist nationwide. They know that Ferguson could really be anywhere and Michael Brown could be any young Black male. According to a report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, every 28 hours a Black person is killed by a police officer, security, or vigilante in the United States. There is almost complete impunity for the perpetrators of most of these crimes.
The political marginalization and racialized poverty that exist in Ferguson are replicated in communities across the country. “The murder of Michael Brown and the situation in Ferguson can and should be a turning point. Where we finally come to terms with the root causes of these issues and address social deprivation and oppression and the police brutality that comes with it.”
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