On January 30, 2022 hundreds of people in Chicago showed up to show their support to the families and communities impacted by the deaths of Tyre Nichols, Keenan Anderson, and land defender Tortuguita. Despite it being a weekday and the weather reaching a low of 6 degrees, hundreds of protestors took over the streets of Chicago. Although it was an event of solidarity, organizers pointed out Chicago’s own history with police brutality. As protestors marched through downtown, they said the names of Tyre, Keenan, and Tortuguita but they also said the names of Laquan McDonald and Adam Toledo; two young people murdered by CPD.
With Chicago’s mayoral election coming up, several mayoral candidates were in the crowd as a way to show their support to the cause. However, speakers of the protest were quick to make it known that showing up was not enough but what the community really wants from the upcoming mayor is to defund and dismantle the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Although Tyre Nichols’ death occurred in Memphis, his death was felt throughout the nation because it is a story we have heard too many times. Tyre’s unfortunate death has been described as extremely similar to the Rodney King beating in LA that occurred in 1991. However, in Tyre’s case it was believed that he was beaten by a group of five all black cops. Many people often think that police brutality is simply an issue of white cops vs. black people but Tyre’s death reminds us that what we are fighting against is the entire system.
A cop’s race, gender, or socioeconomic status does not matter when they work against our communities. Diversifying the police force will not protect us. In fact, many people believe that Black and Latino cops can sometimes be the toughest cops to encounter. While there has not been enough statistics to show they are more violent, many people feel that non-white police feel as if they have something to prove so they will choose to be rougher with people as a way to be accepted within the police force.
Regardless of how tough a non-white cop can be, the reality is that they will always experience different treatment compared to their white peers. In the case of Tyre Nichols, all five Black cops were fired immediately. Their pictures were rapidly released all over the media and they were called “former cops”, something that is often not seen in many police brutality cases. Shortly after the release of body cam footage, it was revealed that a sixth officer was involved in the incident. However, his identity was protected and he was put on leave first before he was eventually fired. He was one of the first officers on the scene and he can be seen tasing Nichols in the body cam footage. The only difference between the sixth officer and the first five officers is that he was white.
There is no reforming this racist system. Protestors in Chicago reminded us of this when they shouted Tyre Nichols’ name but also the names of past victims like Keenan Anderson, Tortuguita, Laquan Mcdonald, Adam Toledo, Sandra Bland, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many more. Employing more cops or reforming the police will not stop the violence; the people demand abolition.
In the words of Reverend William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartford:
“The public lynching of Tyre Nichols is a harsh reminder that we live in an America where some people’s lives are considered expendable. The officers who murdered this man did not act alone. Who else killed Tyre? Every politician who has been silent of the issues of violent public policy that denies some Americans basic human rights like housing, healthcare and a living wage. Also, every preacher and moral leader who remains quiet and doesn’t challenge the value gap in our society until another fatality is caught on camera. Who else bears responsibility for this brutality? Every American who has refused to believe on-the-ground activists who are crying for justice, and every politician who forfeited the chance to say: “No other bills in Congress until we have police reform, voting rights, living wages and universal healthcare.”
The term “abolition” has become an increasingly popular term after 2020 but people are still wary of using the word. Abolishing the police department may sound like chaos and anarchism to some, but what it really means is investing in preventative practices as opposed to the funding of police violence. Preventative practices in Chicago can mean investing in education, the arts, re-opening our mental health clinics, listening to the demands of the communities and so much more. In Chicago, the police receive 40% of the city’s budget. Instead of paying police to intimidate and harm our communities, that money could be used to actually prevent crime by investing in community resources. History has taught us that the police does not protect our communities. We protect ourselves.
Photo by Ada Marys Lorenzana
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Ada, congratulations. Your article is right on point.