CLEVELAND, Ohio – Black Lives Matter Cleveland and community members gathered on Saturday afternoon to meet in an effort to underfund the Cleveland police, abolish the Blue Lives Matter movement and demilitarize the police force.
Hundreds of people gathered at Luke Easter Park in the city’s Woodland Hills neighborhood in support of the underfunding campaign, and then marched toward the intersection of East 93rd Street and Kinsman Avenue. Black Lives Matter Cleveland co-founder Kareem Henton said the organization wants the intersection, recently painted with the phrase, to be renamed “Black Lives Matter Intersection.”
BLM Cleveland encouraged those who participated to wear black in solidarity and in an effort to quell racism in the country.
Many posters were kept with phrases like “Fund the community, not the cops,” “Trump / Pence out now,” “Be against hate,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Strip the police,” without justice. , without peace, abolish the racist. policeman.”
There are three requests that Black Lives Matter Cleveland hopes will change the police in the city, Henton said.
One is being able to create a public database on individual officers and their background on the force, such as reprimands, he said.
The second is to abolish the Blue Lives Matter phrase from public buildings and patrol cars.
“We know that this is being used as a way to draw a line in the sand and is raising occupations over people’s lives,” said Henton. “It is very alienating to citizens, so that’s one of the things we want to get rid of.”
Finally, prohibit the police from buying and using military equipment in the city.
“Quite self-explanatory. We saw what happens when they have these things in their hands, ”said Henton. “He just shows malicious intent, shooting people with tear gas guns, things of that nature. Citizens should not be subjected to that. “
Claudia Schneider from Cleveland has been jumping from Cleveland to Columbus to participate in the many protests that have been taking place in those populated cities.
Schneider says she is a fan of underfinancing the police and putting that money in the hands of the community.
“I think we should move towards a future based on community care and work as a collective rather than being in this very individualistic mindset,” he said. “I think the entire justice system in general is very broken and needs to be repaired at all levels.”
It will all start with demilitarizing the police and underfinancing them, Schneider added.
“As the United States celebrates independence, we remember the ways the United States has treated people of color and minority communities,” said Black Lives co-founder Matter Cleveland, LaTonya Goldsby. “This Fourth of July, like previous ones, has its roots in the memories of the struggles of our ancestors and their fight for freedom and liberation.”
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