Persist in Fight vs. Racist Killer Cops

Brooklyn, NY, July 21 — Outside Brooklyn Criminal Courts Building at 120 Schermerhorn Street, a mother still grieving for her daughter after a year, faced off against three court cops who told her she had to move her car away from the front of the courthouse.
“No parking,” one of them said. He wore three stripes. The mother’s voice, breaking but angry, said, “You killed my daughter in this building. Why aren’t you examining that and not me parking my car?” Her car had a large banner of Kyam Livingston’s photo surrounded by the dates of her birth and death. “Go inside and send out the captain. I’ll talk to him,” the mother said. The officers retreated.
No captain came out while a picket line was gathering. A few reporters from television news and newspapers showed up. No captain appeared. The chants started, “We want Justice for Kyam Livingston, Killed in a Brooklyn Cell!” The picket line grew larger as more people turned up from work. The chanting got louder and stronger. And then speeches began on a loudspeaker explaining that a racist system that can kill a black woman simply by refusing to get her medical care when she was clearly in distress for seven hours does not deserve to exist. The sounds of the picket line echoed down the street.
One-Year Memorial
This demonstration was larger and angrier than usual. Kyam’s mother had brought large photos of her daughter which some of the demonstrators carried. She also handed each demonstrator a red rose to carry in memory of her daughter. Small electric candles were given to everyone to turn on in unison. Balloons were released into the gathering dark and people watched them float higher and higher. For many it was a memorable moment. One woman struggled to maintain her erect posture as she walked on the picket line. There were the young, the old, black, white, Latin, men and women united in grief and anger.
The court police almost disappeared at the militancy of the demonstration. When the struggle against the cops for allowing Kyam to die first began one year ago, the officials would not release to the family the surveillance tapes of the cell or the names of the officers involved. The struggle has forced them to reveal the names and the videos, proving what they knew to be true all along. They now want those responsible to be brought to justice for racist murder.
To ensure that the officials don’t doubt that we will be back, every speaker said this is a continuing and growing struggle. The family is also demanding changes in the way those facing incarceration are handled. The committee wants to clean up the racist culture of indifference towards those waiting to be charged at Brooklyn Central Bookings and clean up the filth people have to endure while they are waiting. Anti-racist struggles like this are important for the survival of the working class in this racist, violent, and greedy system. PLP is fighting to end the system where racism rules the day and the bosses use their cops, courts, and prisons to threaten and divide workers.
The Progressive Labor Party knows that it’s necessary to end capitalism to destroy racism and all of the filth this system produces. This is the beginning of another year of attempting to build the Party as the agency of change. Dare to struggle, dare to win. Join us.