Numerous civil rights organizations across the United States agree that abuse of power by law enforcement and judicial departments has seriously violated the freedom and rights of its citizens.

Cases where law enforcement authorities allegedly violated victims’ civil rights increased by 25% from 2001 to 2007 according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice (“Police Brutality Cases up 25%,” USA Today, Dec. 18, 2007).

The national average among large police departments for excessive-force complaints was 9.5% per 100 full-time officers (The New York Times, Nov. 15, 2007).  But shockingly, the majority of law enforcement officers were not prosecuted when accused of physical brutality, abuse of power or even homicide.

And based on figures released by the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2007, 47 states and the District of Columbia reported 2,002 arrest-related deaths between 2003 and 2005.

With these facts, it is obvious why justice of the U.S. judicial system is increasingly put in question.  With these facts, it is obvious that law enforcement officers need strict accountability for their behavior.  And with these facts, it is obvious why a small group of moms have decided it’s time for change.

In Chattanooga, Tenn., on Dec. 29, four mothers whose unarmed sons were killed by law enforcement while in custody will hold a gathering to commemorate the lives of their sons and start a movement for change.  They urge people who share their concern nationwide to join them.

From their painful experience, they are determined to share and educate other mothers as well as grandmothers, wives, girlfriends, nieces to work to form a united collective movement for change.

Loretta Prater’s son, Leslie, was killed in Tennessee when a citizen called the police after seeing him get out of his car and pull off his clothes.  Two independent autopsy reports concluded homicide by positional asphyxia though the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported ‘excited delirium’ as the cause of death.

Sandra Robertson’s 19-year old son, John, died from five shots – two in the back.  He bled to death on the sidewalk in Arizona.

Mar?ia Riley’s 22-year old son, Marcus, was dead within less than 48 hours of being arrested in Texas.  Jailers initially claimed that he committed suicide.

Connie Riding was devastated when her 25 year-old son, Derek, was shamelessly killed by officers in Delaware after having served two tours of military duty fighting for our country.  Helpless and paralyzed from taser blasts, he was shot three times.

These mothers are aware that good officers exist within the system; however, there’s an “epidemic” of fear which has engulfed them to silence.  It’s the bad officers and jailers who are the focus of their grass root efforts.  It’s the supervisors who knowingly turn a blind eye to these heinous killings; it’s the taxpayers who lose valuable dollars through court costs and lawsuit settlements; and it’s families who are plagued with a lifetime of grief.

The kick-off event will be held on Dec. 29 starting 6:30 p.m. at the Second Missionary Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall on 2305 East 3^rd Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Source

LAHORE: The legal fraternity would observe complete boycott of court proceedings on Wednesday (today) to protest against police torture on lawyers and their arrest on November 5, 2007, two days after the imposition of emergency.

Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Rana Asadullah Khan has announced that no lawyer would appear in any court to show their solidarity with the movement for the restoration of all the deposed judges and to condemn the brutal acts of the police against the lawyers.

The LHCBA will hold its general house meeting at 10 am to make a strategy for their protest movement. Senior most deposed judge of the Lahore High Court Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif will address the lawyers.

The lawyers have also planned to burn effigies of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, former SSP (Operations) and former LHC chief justice to condemn their role against the legal fraternity. The Lahore Bar Association, which already has locked the courts, would also observe complete boycott of courts and would hold its general house meeting.

source

The following is a statement by the Prescribed Area Peoples Alliance, a group affected by the Austrailan government legislation that is adversely affecting Indigenous Australians and threatens to revert back to the 1950’s white australia policy:

The Prescribed Area People’s Alliance is a group of Aboriginal people
from communities affected by the NT Intervention. More than 130 people
have joined Alliance to date.

Read a partial section of the statement here:

Today, Friday November 7, the Prescribed Area People’s Alliance held
its second meeting. We have issued the following statement:

We are outraged that today Lex Wotton, an Indigenous man from Palm
Island, was sentenced for 6 years for protesting the murder of another
Indigenous man by a white policeman. That policeman has since been
promoted and given $100,000 compensation. Police brutality and
harassment of Indigenous people continues throughout Australia,
including here in Central Australia in our town camps and communities.

Read full statement here

The “martial law”-like police control that Ma Ying-Jeou’s government imposes on Taiwanese, especially that during the visit of Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), the chairman of Association for Relations Across the taiwan Strait (ARATS), has triggered widespread anger among Taiwanese. Students all over the island are organizing protests to demand the government with the following appeals:

1) President Ma Ying-Jeou and Premier Liu to apologize to the public;
2) Director of National Security Bureau and that of National Police Agency to step down;
3) Revise the unconstitutional Parade And Assembly Act (the current Act requires all demonstrations to be pre-approved, which often used as a political tool to screen protests);

The protest organizers insist the protest to be peaceful and non-partisan. The participation of any political figure is denied. No banner, flag, slogan are allowed, except the only one provided by the organizer, which reads: “The Police Violates the Law.”

Live broadcasts are setup for people around the world to witness and participate:

Protest started this morning 1 pm Taipei time. It’s in Guang-Fu Campus of Cheng Kung University.

Click here to watch live

Info provided by Taiwan Matters

The People’s Coalition for Police Accountability Invites You to –

STOP POLICE BRUTALITY AND MURDERS: A REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

The 10-Year Old People’s Coalition for Police Accountability (PCPA) is holding a public forum to report to the community on the status of the struggle against police brutality in Prince George’s County and to make plans to deal with it.

Fourteen (14) residents have been shot by the cops since January 2008, several fatally. Has the County returned to its bad old ways, which led to federal intervention and oversight of the police department? Should residents call for the reinstatement of federal oversight of the police department? Join us in learning about the extent of the problem, and help determine what steps we as residents of the County should take. If you have been brutalized by the police, we want to hear your story and help you achieve justice.

• The PCPA demands a full accounting of the murder of Ronnie L. White in his cell in the Upper Marlboro jail. The medical examiner declared that he was strangled in a homicide. Only jail guards and cops had access! WE SAY, NO COVER-UP OF THIS LYNCHING! PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE!

• On July 29, a SWAT Team burst into the home of Mayor Cheye Ronnie L. White Calvo of Berwyn Heights without a no-knock warrant, killing his dogs and mistreating him and his family. WHAT SANCTIONS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED?

• On August 14, Manuel Jesus de Espina was murdered by a PG cop as he celebrated his 40th birthday. Hundreds rightly protested this brutality! WHAT FURTHER ACTIONS ARE NEEDED?

The PCPA needs you to address this problem of apparently increasing police brutality. Join us at the “Report to the Community” on September 9.

Come to a meeting to learn the facts and plan next steps!

Location: St. Paul Church
6611 Walker Mill Road

Date and Time: September 9, 2008
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Sign a petition protesting the violent and illegal treatment of journalists at the Republican National Convention.

more

During the Republican Convention, CUAPB will play a number of important roles. Along with copwatch as noted above, we’ll be involved in jail medical support, jail exit support, documentation of cases through our hotline, court watch/court support, and even assisting homeless people being swept aside in both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. more

The Independent Media Commission (IMC) views with concern the wanton violence perpetrated by members of the Sierra Leone Police against journalists while performing their professional and constitutional duty on Wednesday 13th August 2008. The incident took place at the precincts of State House and the SLPP Headquarters at Wallace Johnson Street , Freetown respectively. more

A statement relased by the NAACP:

“The NAACP is committed to a proactive approach to police shootings and all other forms of police brutality. We will not wait for the next inevitable violation only to decry after the fact that it should not have happened.” more.