#ShutDownA14 Protests Police Killing Black Men

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Dr. Cornel West, Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, “The Color Purple” author Alice Walker and actress Jasmine Guy were among the hundreds who took to the streets of New York City for what was called a “National Shut Down Day” to “Stop Police Killings of Unarmed People.”

Those fed up with the relationship between law enforcement and people of color took to the streets of almost 30 American cities, with the promise of “disrupting business as usual.”  Protesters brought traffic to a snarl across New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, congregated at Chicago’s Daley Plaza and reportedly made their presence known in various other cities.

“We are going to be acting to disrupt business as usual,” activist Car Dix said. “Because business as usual gives police a green light to kill Black and Latino youth. We march while the killings continue and people are accepting them. We want to take the energy and spirit of Ferguson and take that even higher.”

According to Dr. Cornel West: “For over 7 years, young Black and Brown women and men have been shot down by the police every 28 hours. We’ve got a Black president, Black attorney general, Black cabinet secretary of homeland security. Their fundamental aim is to ensure the citizens are secure and safe in America, but we haven’t had one federal prosecution of a policeman for killing all of those folks. Something’s wrong. Something’s deeply wrong.”

Chicago protests

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“I am supporting mass protest on April 14. Shut It Down!,” added Rev. Calvin Butts. “We think pressure needs to stay on for justice in regards to the killing of Eric Garner, and of Black and Brown people all across the country. We want to see our congregations, our ministers and pastors around the city…and we will continue to press our case for justice.”

“I expect to see you out there, somewhere, wherever you are, on April 14th,” said Alice Walker. “When you go out on April 14th, you will see that you are creating – as you have done before, and all of your ancestors and older people have done – you are creating a community of resistance. This is the essence of what we need to have now.”