LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles
Urban League stands shoulder to shoulder with the protests fueled
by the senseless, witnessed deaths of George Floyd and Breonna
Taylor at the hands of police, and of Ahmaud Arbery protected by the complicit eyes of
justice. These protests deserve full-throated respect from our
leaders and well-meaning citizens. The people are rightfully angry,
and the core message simply is this: honor life and treat all
people justly, humanely, and with dignity.
We urge restraint by law enforcement and demand that they
emphasize their fundamental responsibility to protect and serve our
communities. That service includes protecting the rights of
aggrieved citizens to protest peacefully, and fully investigating
and prosecuting all who seek to exploit this pain by instigating
acts of mayhem that undermine the peaceful goals of that
protest.
These senseless, witnessed deaths remind us that the
vestiges of Jim Crow laws still
exist in law enforcement agencies throughout the United
States—including Los Angeles. We
demand that the City and County of Los
Angeles immediately convene a law enforcement improvement
task force that focuses on just, fair and decent police tactics,
accountability, discipline, recruitment, and training protocols
throughout Los Angeles County.
While these initial steps are important, much more needs to be
done to care for the bodies and souls of Los Angeles. Our political leaders need to be
bold enough to listen, be empathetic, and creative even in the face
of dire economic distress.
We grieve with families of victims who have been wrongly taken
and who suffer the additional pain of justice denied by the very
people are charged with the obligation to serve and protect. While
we are weary from the many decades of grief experienced due to
police brutality and racial injustice, we will never retreat from
holding our public servants accountable to serve the people now and
every day.
But we cannot depend solely on the power of demonstrations and
tasks forces. We must also ensure that we are counted in the
2020 census that is currently under way. In addition, we must
register to vote and ensure that our votes are counted in the
upcoming elections. Remember MAKE BLACK COUNT.
Standing With You In the Movement.
Contact:
|
Ron
Carter
|
|
(323)
864-7092
|
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/los-angeles-urban-league-addresses-protests-related-to-the-death-of-george-floyd-at-the-hands-of-police-301068272.html
SOURCE Los Angeles Urban League