Washington, DC – On Wednesday, March 19, the Parkchester community came out to an impromptu event in support of Ronald Butler, Donte Butler, Donte Butler Jr., Frederick Simms and Jermaine Irving Jr. These five men were brutally attacked by the Metropolitan Police Department on March 11 after defending their family and are facing multiple charges, including assaulting a police officer.

The Butler family decades before lost a loved one to police murder, and this instance brought up the trauma they faced at that time. However, this time, they are committed to fighting back and ensuring justice.

They are working with the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) and demanding all charges are dropped against their family. They are also insisting the officers involved are fired and convicted, specifically Officer Evan Zelesnick, who was the prime instigator of the brawl, as well as the lieutenant who escalated the incident by arriving on scene and immediately starting to mace the handcuffed family members. The lieutenant’s name was conveniently left off any legal paperwork.

On Wednesday, Daniel Butler, son of Donte Butler Sr. and nephew of Ronald Butler, spoke on the incident and how police consistently terrorize his community, stating, “We been dealing with this pain for decades, generations. Drop all the charges, get all them police outta there. [MPD] looks at us as enemies, been that way for years. We need justice, real justice. You want me to be honest? The police department is the very first organized gang.”

Donna Butler, matriarch of the family, spoke as well, “This right here, this is my family. And this is how we come together when it’s needed. Release my son, he did no wrong. He protected his family, and as I always told my kids, stand ten toes. And right now, [MPD] got him in handcuffs, because he chose to protect his kids, his family, his cousins.”

#WashingtonDC #InJusticeSystem #Police Crimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #DCAARPR

Washington, D.C. – On March 14, Filipino and other community activists gathered outside of the Embassy of the Philippines to celebrate the arrest of the dictator Rodrigo Duterte, while also mourning the victims of his brutal regime.

The action began with organizers from Anakbayan DC leading the crowd in chants in both English and Tagalog, shouting, “Stop the killings in the Philippines!” and “Makibaka, huwag matakot!” The protesters then attempted to take the street, but the police present at the action verbally warned the crowd and began a kettling process, pushing protesters back onto the sidewalk.

Speakers from Malaya DC, Anakbayan DC, and the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), celebrated Duterte’s arrest and denounced the crimes he committed while in office. Connections were also drawn between repression seen locally and what is seen in the Philippines.

“Let’s be clear, today is a huge victory for the people’s movement,” said the speaker from DCAARPR, “The Duterte regime will try their best to sidestep the ICC ruling, but it is our job to be unrelenting and ensure that he is put away for his crimes against humanity”

The protest continued with calls for future mobilization against Trump, citing comparisons between his repressive regime and the Duterte era in the Philippines.

“The rollbacks against federal workers, the imminent ICE raids, and political kidnapping of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil, are all reminiscent of martial law in the Philippines,” continued the speaker for DCAARPR, “Our enemy knows it is in their best interests to be united around a common goal, now is time for us to unite the strands of the people’s struggles so that we become an impenetrable united front!”

#WashingtonDC #DCAARPR #International #Philippines #Trump

Washington, DC – On Sunday, July 28, over 200 community members gathered at Freedom Plaza in downtown DC to hold a vigil for Sonya Massey. The vigil, organized jointly by the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DC Alliance) and community activists, featured prayers, stories, speeches and chants condemning the murder of Sonya Massey and other police violence.

The DC Alliance stated its purpose was to “join together in remembrance and demand justice for Sonya Massey and every other victim of racist police.” The press release listed several demands, including a call to convict Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, the officer who shot Sonya Massey in the eye after she called the police for help; that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigate and fire all killer cops; and the demand for a Civilian Police Accountability Review Board with the power to control the police.

The DC Alliance, SPEAR, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO DC), Communist Party of the District of Columbia (CPUSA), and Claudia Jones School for Political Education (Claudia Jones) endorsed these demands.

The vigil began by recounting the details of the murder of Sonya Massey, followed by a reading of her obituary and a moment of silence in remembrance of all victims of racist police. Then, in a call and response with the vigil attendees, the organizers read the names of 60 victims of police violence, including 18 victims who were murdered by police in Washington, DC. After the reading, community members, local activists, poets and representatives of other groups, such as from Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Anakbayan DC, and Pan-African Community Action relayed personal stories and spoke on the history and condition of policing in Black communities.

Tino Venable, a DC native and organizer for the DC Alliance, spoke on his personal experience with police violence. “With deep sadness comes my emotional honesty, the honesty of which I have been to so many funerals, so many vigils in this city that I found trouble forming the words to bear my soul here,”

Venable continued, “Sonya Massey was a beloved mother, a young Black woman, and a person in need. She called for help, and in return was met with evil.”

“All these kids are my kids,” said Terra Martin, the mother of 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin, young Black man who was murdered by U.S. Park Police on March 18, 2023. “We shouldn’t come together when someone gets killed, we should come together every day to see how we can stop this.”

“The U.S. policing system was created to catch and punish slaves who were escaping to freedom,” said Paige White, of counsel attorney at Ben Crump Law. “At its foundation, policing is a tool to enslave Black and brown people and maintain a status quo of racism.”

Other speakers talked about the connections between the murder of Sonya Massey as an example of genocide and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. “It is important we continue to describe this as genocide, because as we see in Gaza, the ruling class’s policy is to not only murder citizens of another nation, but to murder their own,” Dante O’Hara from Claudia Jones said. “Genocide is part and parcel of the U.S. capitalist project.”

“The Arabic word for martyr also means ‘witness.’ Sonya Massey is a martyr,” said Anyssa Dhaouadi of PYM. “She was a witness to injustice. She was a witness to the struggle. And it is our duty to bear witness to the injustice done to her. Over 186,000 martyrs [in Palestine] and the [Zionist entity] have not won. Thousands of Black martyrs across Turtle Island and they have not won. They have only strengthened our unity!”

Between speakers, chants of “Indict. Convict. Send these killer cops to jail!” and “MPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same!” rang out in the square. Signs included “Community, not cops!” and “Black women’s lives matter!”

“I’m sickened by the murder of Sonya Massey, Dalaneo Martin, and countless others whose precious lives were cut short because of a racist and cruel policing system,” said Jon Abraham, a member of FRSO DC. “We in FRSO understand the national character of these killings. It is the result of the national oppression of Black people in this country, of which only benefits the imperialist ruling class.”

The vigil concluded with closing prayers and a call to action, urging attendees to join the DC Alliance and the fight for community control of the police.

“We are here to put America on notice,” said Victoria Ponnell, a community activist who co-organized the vigil. “We have to stand against human rights violations in America, in Palestine, and in [the Democratic Republic of] Congo, because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!”

#WashingtonDC #PoliceCrimes #DCAARPR #FRSODC #SPEAR #CPUSADC #ClaudiaJones #AnakbayanDC #PYM #PACA

Washington, DC – On May 1, at the invitation of the DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), the students at the George Washington University Encampment, informally called the Popular University for Gaza, hosted the Freedom Road Socialist Organization for a May Day panel.

The event featured speakers from the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), DMV PYM, EarthRights United, and a representative from the GW Student Coalition for Palestine (SCP).

The panel opened with a statement from a member of the FRSO and emcee for the event discussing the origin of May Day and its importance. “The tradition and practice of celebrating May Day as a workers’ day – a day of struggle, where all people of the working class look forward to a better future – is already ingrained into the fabric of cities across the U.S., including and especially right here in D.C.”

The speakers took turns answering questions and sharing their perspectives. Each participant spoke to their unique organizing experiences and struggles, while connecting everything back together. “The ways in which we are brutalized and oppressed are the same,” said Kristen Bonner of DCAARPR, “the same tactics that our police forces use here – kettling, noise violence, tear gassing, batons, rubber bullets – these are the exact same things the IOF is doing to Palestinians''

“What we’re fighting for is huge,” added Audrey Schreiber of EarthRights United, “there is pain in the struggle and in the movement, but make sure it doesn’t fall onto your comrades”

A member of DMV PYM said, “It’s important to learn from the struggles of our comrades.” Summarizing the importance of the student movement in the greater struggle against imperialism, they added a quote from the late Palestinian writer and political leader Ghassan Kanafani, “Imperialism has laid its body over the world, the head in Eastern Asia, the heart in the Middle East, its arteries reaching Africa and Latin America. Wherever you strike it, you damage it, and you serve the world revolution.”

#WashingtonDC #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #DCAARPR #PYM #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement

Washington, D.C. – On May 4, the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), hosted its first local conference. A first of its kind for a branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), the conference brought about 50 organizers, activists and community members together for a discussion on police accountability and community control. Many of the attendees were Black, Latino, Arab, Asian, and Pacific Islanders.

Organizations in attendance included Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) DC, DMV Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Anakbayan DC, Claudia Jones School for Political Education, Pan-African Community Action (PACA), Communist Party USA DC (CPUSA), and the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS).

The conference opened with remarks by keynote speaker Frank Chapman, a founding member and current executive director of the NAARPR and field organizer for the Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (CAARPR or the Chicago Alliance). Chapman, a political prisoner who was freed by the efforts of the NAARPR in 1973, spoke of the origins of the Alliance and the importance of the historic demand for community control.

“The Alliance grew out of the demand to free Angela Davis, who faced trumped-up murder charges orchestrated by a racist police frame-up,” and “together with Charlene Mitchell and a talented group of organizers, I was freed from prison and dedicated myself to the struggle of Black liberation.”

“The demand for community control arose out of Black Reconstruction when for the first time Black people had political power to determine their futures. Black folks formed community militias to protect themselves from racist attacks from the likes of [what would form the KKK] and their bitter former masters. This demand was revived by the Black Panther Party during the Black Power movement of the 1970s.”

“Today, the Alliance takes up the demand for community control of the police, not only for the basic democratic demand that Black people have the say on who polices our communities and how, but also to allow for the organizing space and breathing room necessary to wage a struggle for freedom from exploitation. We cannot do that with the boot of the police on our necks.”

After Chapman’s keynote address, the organizing co-chair for DCAARPR reported on the activities of the DC Alliance from the past year. Those activities included electing a provisional executive to carry out the tasks; adopting bylaws; beginning a community outreach campaign and starting up tabling and fliering in targeted neighborhoods; regularly holding general body meetings; participating in national solidarity protests to free the Tampa 5; hosting Laura Rodriguez of the Tampa 5; hosting a fundraiser, the proceeds of which helping to send members to the 2023 National Conference and providing monetary support to the Tampa 5; attending the National Conference; participating in many solidarity actions for Palestine, including the Palestine National Week of Action; conducting political education around community control and political repression; and providing material support and political education at the Palestine solidarity student encampment at George Washington University.

The executive report was followed by a community discussion on police accountability, public safety and how to hold the police accountable. Groups identified the need to be united in action, and fighting toward community control as a primary campaign that could address many of the different issues discussed around police accountability and public safety.

The conference featured speeches from affiliates including DMV PYM, Anakbayan DC, Claudia Jones School for Political Education, PACA, CPUSA (DC), ILPS, and FRSO DC. Each affiliate spoke of the work they are doing and the importance of forming a united front for community control in DC.

“We in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization understand that oppressed people have the right to determine their own destinies, free of outside influence and repression,” the speaker for FRSO said, “We see community control of the police as a crucial step on this pathway; the people should have the say on police accountability; who polices them and how they are policed. We take on this righteous struggle through the power of the united front. In the words of CAARPR Field Organizer and NAARPR Executive Director Frank Chapman, “We must be headlights, not taillights. We must lead people out of their frustration, not into it.”

Additionally, the DC Alliance elected new leadership as follows: Kristen Bonner and Logan Cropper as organizing co-chairs, Jonathan Abraham and Tino Venable as outreach co-chairs, and Iain McNeely as secretary. The new executive committee will serve for the next two years and carry out the task of continuing to develop the DC Alliance and the demand for community control of the police. Also discussed and adopted were resolutions surrounding campaigns to hold accountable a local killer cop, Jason Bagshaw, and to provide critical support to homeless communities, among others.

The conference concluded by attendees following Assata's chant, but not before a call was made to continue the work of the Alliance and building the movement for community control. “The conference is only the beginning;” the conference emcee stated, “we want to host more forums like this where the community can come together to share their experiences and organize around the demand of justice and community control. We have come a long way from where we were last year, but we still have much more to struggle for, and much more to win. With the power of the people there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome! All power to the people!”

#WashingtonDC #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #PoliceCrimes #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #NAARPR #DCAARPR #FRSO #ILPS #PYM #PACA #CPUSA

Washington, DC — On April 25, at 5 a.m., students from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters from multiple DC universities took to George Washington University’s campus and started a Washington DC student encampment for Palestine.

George Washington University has been criticized for repressing its Palestinian students and their allies on campus while defending both on and off-campus Zionists. The university called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to intimidate the students and start the sweep of the encampment. The MPD then sent out a notice to all students ordering their dispersal at 7 p.m.. In response, the organizers in DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) SJP made a call for increased community mobilization to stave off the police. Within a few hours, the DC community mobilized to support the encampment in the thousands. At its peak, around 2000 people were on campus at the event, chanting and supporting the students. University faculty and alumni from multiple DC universities formed a barrier between students and the police.

Because of this mass mobilization effort, 7 p.m. came and went; the police did not follow through on their dispersal order, instead waiting until late in the evening, when people had started to go home, to try to sweep the encampment.

As of April 26, the encampment is still standing, and the community continues to rally around the four demands of the students, which are for the university to one, disclose how their endowment is spent; two, divest from all companies and partnerships who participate in the colonization and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people; three, defend Palestine activism which has been repressed and censored, and four, declare the Zionist occupation, colonization and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people and the U.S.-Israeli genocide on Gaza illegal and indefensible.

There were many community organizations present, participating in teach-ins and protests, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Anakbayan DC, the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), and many more.

A member of DCAARPR stated in their speech, “We are engaged in an act of rebellion. This moment of struggle on GW’s campus is a powerful thread in the worldwide struggle against Zionism and, by extension, American imperialism. The student movement has always been at the forefront of anti-imperialist struggles, and who has always been called as the first line of defense against them? The police!” This was followed by the masses of people chanting in unison, “MPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same!”.

The students continue to call for community mobilization and support in the D.C. area.

#WashingtonDC #StudentMovement #SDS #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #DCAARPR #PYM #Anakbayan #GWU

Washington, DC – On Saturday, February 17, thousands of pro-Palestine protesters marched on the U.S Capitol building in DC to demand justice for Rafah and an end to the siege on Palestine.

The action, hosted by Doctors Against Genocide, alongside Palestinian Youth Movement, was held as part of a Global Day of Action for Palestine. The demands of the protest called for the reinstatement of funding for UNRWA, a United Nations humanitarian aid and relief agency for Palestinian refugees, as well as an embargo on arms sales to Israel.

The protesters intended to march all the way to the building but were stopped by Capitol Police on the grounds of “not securing proper permits.” This prompted members of PYM and other organizations to speak on the interconnectedness of the struggle for community control of the police domestically, and how DC police are trained by Israeli Defense Forces in occupied Palestine. “MPD, KKK, IOF they’re all the same!” chanted the protesters.

Between chants of “In our millions and our billions, we are all Palestinians” and “Congress, Congress, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” representatives from many organizations, including the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR), and Students for Socialism, led chants and addressed the crowd.

“We know that the cops who harass, attack, and kill Black people in the U.S. are trained by the Zionist police, the IOF, and the Mossad,'' said Katie Sayour, who spoke on behalf of DCAARPR. We know that the enemies of the Palestinian people, the monopoly capitalists, and the war profiteers, are our enemies too.”

Additionally, a Palestinian-American nurse spoke on her experiences volunteering in Gaza, lamenting the brutal conditions the Zionist entity created in occupied Palestine, stating, “Out of 36 hospitals, there are only five partially functioning hospitals left. I was hoping to use my knowledge and skills to heal the wounded, but what I found was devastating and beyond repair.”

The demonstration ended with calls from the Palestinian Youth Mnovement for protesters to remain active and organized, as well as to stay vigilant on the situation in Rafah.

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #NAARPR #DCAARPR #PYM

Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, February 10, hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors gathered across the lawn from the White House in Lafayette Square.

The action, hosted by the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DC Alliance) alongside Palestinian Youth Movement, was held for the National Week of Action in solidarity with Palestine.

Their demands included an end to U.S. aid to Israel and bombing the Middle East, an end to the political repression of Palestinian organizers, “Hands off Yemen,” and community control of the police.

Merawi Gerima, the co-chair for the Campaign to Free Incarcerated Survivors of Torture (CFIST) from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression also spoke at the event.

The DC Alliance organizing co-chair spoke about the interconnectedness of struggle between oppressed people in the United States and the Palestinian struggle for national liberation, stating “Your struggle is my struggle. The same cops who repress us domestically were trained by the IDF in Israel. MPD, IOF, KKK they’re all the same.”

“What’s the most beautiful thing in the world?” Merawi Gerima, of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression asked the crowd during his speech. “Solidarity. What’s the most powerful force in the world? Solidarity!”

“We believe in the power of the collective will of the masses,” said a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization “Only through the united front that is led by the oppressed and working masses will we be able to achieve victory. “

Between chants of “In our millions and our billions, we are all Palestinians,” and “Biden Biden you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” community members read poems from heralded Palestinian authors. Additionally, some organizers read excerpts from Palestinians in Rafah.

The demonstration ended with “Assata’s Chant,” and a call to action to join the DC Alliance, Palestinian Youth Movement, and other Palestinian activist groups in the area. “The only thing we have to lose is our chains!” said a protest organizer, “get organized, get active, and keep fighting!”

Along with the Palestinian Youth Movement, the DC Alliance was joined by representatives and speakers from Claudia Jones School for Political Education, Pan-African Community Action, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The National Week of Action in solidarity for Palestine was called by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

#WashingtonDC #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #NAARPR #USPCN #SDS #DCAARPR #WeekOfAction4Palestine #Feature