For the 18th year in a row, protesters mobilized for the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation, which is held on October 22nd of each year.
The rallies were held in over 30 US cities, including in New York and Los Angeles, where local activist groups gathered to bring awareness to the importance of stopping police violence.
Organizers say that the aim of such demonstrations have been to bring forward a united, powerful and visual coalition supporting individuals and families victimized by police brutality in the US.
Participants say they gather each year to bring about change for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, one they rightfully deserve – freedom, justice, equality and respect.
Numerous human rights observers have raised concerns about increased police brutality in the country in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
An extensive report prepared for the United Nations Human Rights Committee tabled in 2006 states that in the US, the “War on Terror” has “created a generalized climate of impunity for law enforcement officers, and contributed to the erosion of what few accountability mechanisms exist for civilian control over law enforcement agencies.”
“As a result, police brutality and abuse persist unabated and undeterred across the country,” the report said.
Studies have shown that most police brutality goes unreported and the process of filing a complaint is difficult and often intimidating.
