Peaceful protesters had been at the People’s Plaza/Ida B. Wells Plaza for 61 days. The state and the police repeatedly tried to silence them, strip them of their resources, create and enact laws against them, and demonize them. I’ve stood face to face with the cops at this plaza for hours, and the entire time, everyone was peaceful. I’ve been surrounded by cops in riot gear on all four sides with these protesters, and still, everyone was peaceful. No matter what, they remain peaceful. Yet I’ve seen and read so many stories about how these protesters have been arrested on bullshit, made-up charges and have witnessed them be brutalized over and over again. I’ve seen so many people with chipped teeth, lung problems, scars, gashes, head trauma, bruises, sprains and fractures, concussions, and more all because of these pigs. I’ve read stories from protesters about how their experiences at the Plaza have triggered panic attacks, PTSD, psychosis, dissociation, and more and how some had been forcibly medicated/tranquilized by police without their consent. I’ve seen people get robbed of their personal items by these pigs, one cop going so far as to rob a man of his medications that he needed to live. I’ve seen and read about cops ripping masks off protesters and sexually harassing them. I’ve seen the cops speed down the road and almost hit protesters multiple times. I’ve read stories from protesters about how they’d been detained for hours and hours with several other people and without masks or how they, especially Black female protesters, had been detained in solitary for hours. And most of those people required medical attention, which they didn’t receive. A GIRL WITH ASTHMA ALMOST DIED BECAUSE THE COPS RELEASED A GAS SIMILAR TO TEAR GAS NEXT TO HER CELL AND IGNORED HER CRIES FOR HELP AND RESPONDED BY PUTTING HER IN SOLITARY AND TAUNTING HER INSTEAD OF PROVIDING MEDICAL ATTENTION, FFS!!
Over 200 arrests had been made during this 61-day occupation. The state tried to get a judge to allow 24/7 GPS-monitoring of a lead activist of the movement. Officers have kicked, punched, sexually harassed, dragged, hospitalized, tear-gassed, zip-tied, arrested, taunted, and brutalized protesters during this occupation. Protesters have held countless vigils and peaceful marches and have literally put their blood, sweat, and tears into this cause. All we wanted was for the governor to meet with the people to discuss removing Confederate monuments and addressing police violence, and this is what protesters were met with instead. And now they’ve made it illegal for us to even fight against their brutality and for our rights to freely exist while Black and brown.
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