04/04/2012
Categories: Uncategorized . Tags: Marvin Booker . Author: westdenvercopwatch . Comments: Leave a comment
Update on O22 March
The march was a beautiful thing. There were severl hundred people in the street. Look out for video form the march tonight!!!!!!!!
In the mean time, two Copwatchers were quoted in the Denver Post
TODAY- O22 International Day of Action Against Police Terror
MARCH AGAINST POLICE TERROR
Saturday October 22nd, 6pm
Meet outside the entrance of the Denver Zoo, where Denver police murdered Alonzo Ashley in July.
Police terror is plaguing the Denver metro area. As worldwide economic conditions worsen, the police have locally continued to murder, mass imprison, and torture poor and working class people, people of color, migrants, and others marginalized by the capitalist system.
Over the past year and a half, a growing movement against police terror has spread throughout Denver. Street demonstrations, public meetings, court room actions, and other public mobilizations have helped build strong networks of social struggle against police violence in the Denver metro area.
Although a wave of police firings briefly created an illusion that the heinous abuses of the police may be handled by those in administrative power, the recent rehirings of police officers who have admittedly brutalized local residents have illustrated that those in power will not be the ones who fix this problem.
While folks have petitioned, held meetings with public officials, sued the police and administration, and used every other method through the usual “legitimate” channels to effect change, the police still murder and attack us on a daily basis. Justice will only come from us, not the same system that is reliant upon the police for protection. When the police know that the people will mobilize and fight back in a literal, and not just figurative sense, then they will start to back down.
Building a movement that can directly stand against police terror can start in many places. We have chosen the streets because we feel that by reclaiming space, we also reclaim power. The police truly believe that the streets belong to them. They belong instead to the people. And every time we march, and hold these streets without their permission, we reclaim space that the police attempt to steal from us on a daily basis.
Join us in holding the streets on October 22nd, a day that has been commemorated for over a decade as an international day of action against police terror and abuse.
See you in the streets TOMORROW!
Get Hyped – Videos from Past Anti-Police Terror Marches
Tomorrow – 6PM Denver Zoo – March Against Police Terror!
Legal Updates on Arestees from Anti-Police Demonstrations
Our friends over at Denver Anarchist Black Cross have updates on the legal situations for the folks that have been arrested during the wave of anti-police marches.
It’s been more than a month since a demonstration commemorating the year anniversary of the murder of homeless street preacher Marvin Booker resulted in the arrest of three protesters. All three have attended court in the last few weeks, bringing about new updates in the context of anti-policing struggles in Denver.
The first person arrested that day turned out to be a minor and was released after a short period of detention. He had no prior criminal record and was given a deferred sentence on the condition that he completes anger management courses. There is an obvious irony in all of this: While a person who is upset about the police’s indiscriminate and brutal violence against people in this city is required to take classes to “manage their emotions,” the cops that murdered Marvin Booker were never required to take anything of the sort. Those who deal out beatings or fly off the handle towards mere traffic violation witnesses throughout Denver never found themselves being patronized by some “sensitivity coordinator.” Read the rest here
Check out videos from the last few marches
The murder of Marvin Booker, 1 1/2 years later, a multi media timeline
Marvin Booker’s murder on July 9, 2010 has proven to be one of the most heinous examples of police brutality in recent memory. Marvin was a street preacher that met his end in Denver City Jail. He was murdered by five deputies as he was choked, squashed, and tased to death.
Despite the horror that was inflicted on Marvin and thus upon the entire Denver community, Denver has reacted with rage, love, and resistance. To keep things in prospective WDCW would like to give a timeline of events that have occurred since the devastating summer day in Denver’s then brand new Jail. It is important to note that the movement that has come into fruition as a result of Marvin’s murder has been multi pronged and branched to various communities, peoples, and generations throughout Denver. This is only a sample of events, rallys, protests, and resistance that has occured in the past year.
Though there be have been misinformation at this point Denver citizenry began to come together to put the puzzle together and demand justice for Marvin Booker.
January 29, 2011, We ain’t takin this no mo’ march occurs zig zagging through Denver’s streets
May 9, 2011, An adhoc rally meets at the Denver City Jail.
June 8, 2011, A rally is held outside Morrissey’s office demanding the release of Amelia Nichol
June 27, 2011, Felony charges against Amelia Nichol are dropped
July 9, 2011 March for the 1 year anniversary of the Murder of Marvin Booker occurs.
October 22, 2011 International Day Against Police Brutality
Rest assured we will not stop. The resistance will continue. RIP Marvin Booker and all other victims to police brutality.
Year Anniversary of the Murder of Marvin Booker 7/9/11 March Communique
Queen City Antifa has released a statement concerning the March on 7/9/11 commemorating the year anniversary of the murder of Marvin Booker:
Fists and hearts burn in the streets as Denver marks the one year anniversary of the murder of Marvin Booker.
Saturday, July 9th marked the year anniversary of the murder of Marvin Booker, a homeless street preacher booked on minor charges and killed by Denver Sheriff’s Deputies for attempting to retrieve his shoes. A fifth round of demonstrations was called for by West Denver CopWatch to mark the anniversary amidst a backdrop of local repression against the burgeoning anti-police movement.
In May, a demonstration ended with the flashing and banging of a firework during the rowdy crowd’s dispersal. Police arrested a twenty year old woman and charged her with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and a slew of other charges. The Denver Anarchist Black Cross, a revolutionary legal support organization operating in the area for a few years now, mobilized court support and other actions demanding her release without charges. The attempted murder charges and most others were dropped, but she is still fighting felony possession of an explosive and misdemeanor resisting arrest charges.
With this in mind, more than 150 demonstrators converged around the Denver skate park shortly before noon on the 9th. Like many recent mobilizations against the police, cops were waiting to flank participants and keep a tight reign on the event. An officer approaching the crowd was rebuked by several people when he condescendingly offered “help.” After a short speech by a member of West Denver CopWatch, the march took Little Raven St. to make its way to the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center where Booker was killed. Ideally, the march was to swell a rally held by the ACLU and Marvin Booker’s family set to take place once the demonstration arrived.
Fleets of police on bicycles as well as two squad cars and two police vans trailed the march from its onset. Loudly chanting slogans that have quickly become standards for the roaming crowds confronting cops over the last year, some officers reacted to “Oink, oink, bang, bang, every day’s the same old thing” with smiles while others were visibly upset by “from Denver to Greece, fuck the police!” and spirited cries of Marvin Booker’s name.
As has been the precedent for the last three demonstrations, protesters hung stickers of Marvin’s likeness and gave out fliers to passerby. Approaching a pedestrian bridge that leads to the commercial center of the city and the arena of many other confrontations with law enforcement, cops were en masse picking up their bikes and hustling up the stairs. Smart people in the crowd took advantage of this and rerouted the march towards 15th Street, while the demonstration loudly began laughing at the police waiting at the top of the bridge.
15th Street was quickly shut down by the crowd, who used an overpass to amplify chants, drums and general shouts and taunts towards the police in tow. Stickers hit construction equipment and a few people began throwing construction barrels into the road to block police. Hanging a left towards the 1100 block of 16th, the march made its way towards the gawking shoppers on the 16th Street Mall, the commercial center of downtown Denver. Greeted with raised fists and applause towards protesters, many police officers were looking overheated and demoralized.
As the demonstration approached Lawrence St., two cops jumped off of their bikes and tackled a demonstrator to the ground after chasing him through the crowd. A scuffle broke out as folks from the march moved in to attempt to unarrest the comrade. Shoving, punching, and pushing erupted as police hurried to defend the officers making the arrest.
More police quickly arrived to back them up and seal off the irate protesters responding to the arrest. Another scuffle broke out, and shortly thereafter, black clad march participants linked arms and began berating the cops. Screams and challenges to fistfights met the police, as did debris thrown towards the line of police. One cop was observed taking his gun (not taser) out of its holster and the crowd grew visibly angrier, chanting “let him go!” and screaming about the officer with a gun. As the police led the arrested protester back to the van in handcuffs, the police attempted to regroup themselves as a tactical decision was made by he crowd to keep marching.
Within minutes of the initial confrontation a sticker was plastered on the windshield of an unoccupied police motorcycle and the police attempted to grab a demonstrator they accused of the action. March participants rushed to the defense of the comrade. Another masked demonstrator wrapped their arms around the protester and police surrounded the duo. Fistfights and shoving matches between officers and other demonstrators broke out, and in the end of the fracas two more protesters were in handcuffs and a few police were observed limping and wiping blood from their lips. Many police were wielding pepperspray and tasers, ready to attempt to subdue the scuffling protesters, though these weapons were not used.
After the two arrestees were led to the van, the march continued up 16th Street. After realizing that the police have criminalized the act of putting up stickers to justify a violent crackdown on the march, aggressive protesters looking to defy the arrests and the authority of the police continued slapping the stickers on every surface that was available. Several hundred fliers were passed out, and dozens of stickers littered the downtown area.
The march weaved its way to the jail, as Marvin Booker’s name echoed off the walls of the jail. The marching crowd was warmly welcomed by the waiting rally participants. Several speeches were made and police brutality victim Alex Landau, who was just awarded more than $700,000 in settlement money, performed an anti-police rap to the crowd. Many participants at the rally were in the streets to march and confront the cops and the rally is pegged at up to 300 people by media estimates.
Members of Marvin Booker’s family spoke and red, black, and green balloons were released into the air to commemorate the anniversary. The family also contributed to the growing bail fund for the recently arrested protesters, as did several members of the ACLU.
Thanks to the legal support infrastructure of the Denver Anarchist Black Cross, it was learned that the first person arrested was a minor and released with a citation for defacing property with a sticker. The two other arrestees spent eight hours in custody before nearly $700 was raised for their release. Both were released before the night was over. Both face defacement of private or public property and will be arraigned on August 9th. Court support is being organized by DABC. For legal updates, please check denverabc.wordpress.com. Updates on these three arrests and Amelia Nicol’s case, will be posted as they become available.
Once again, and not surprisingly, the media was mute on this action. Other than the local entertainment weekly Westword, which took pictures and featured a small write up, a CBS affiliate that had a small report on the rally, and the Colorado Independent, which reported on the rally, media blacked this demonstration out just as they have the last three marches.
The local anti-police movement is undeterred by the arrests of its comrades and the heavy handed tactics of the police. Despite the three arrests, the movement has shown that it can defend itself in the streets and in the courtroom. There would have been many more arrests if the crowd hadn’t fought back the way it did, and the arrests that were made did not come easy to the police. With the city’s case closed on Marvin Booker’s death, the slogan has moved from “Justice for Marvin Booker” to “Avenge Marvin Booker.” The movement in Denver is making good on the promise of ‘No Justice, No Peace,’ and it is unlikely that repression will stop these demonstrations or similar anti-police activity.
Video from Year Anniversary of Murder of Marvin Booker 7/9/11
Also Westword has some good pics from the action here.
MARCH TOMORROW JULY 9th
WHAT: March for Marvin Booker!Booker!
WHEN: July 9th 2011 11:30 AM
WHERE: Denver Skate Park – 20th and Little Raven
Please bring extra shoes that you’re willing to lose!
The March will snake through downtown and end at the jail, joining a rally put on by the ACLU.
It’s been 1 year since Marvin Booker was brutally murdered in the Van-Cise Simonet Detention Center. The murderers are still in the oppressive positions they so egregiously abused, still floating on our dime. We demanded the videos and they have been released. We continue to demand the immediate prosecution of the Sheriff’s Deputies. The community continues to demand justice!
In the last year pigs have terrorized, brutalized, and murdered:
Marvin Booker,
Oleg Gidenko,
Mark Ashford,
Shawn Johnson,
Michael DeHerrera,
Richard Arreola,
And countless other unnamed and unreported victims…
Recently the po-lice have attempted to intimidate and silence the anti-police brutality movement by arresting one of our comrades on ridiculous charges. Now more than ever we need to show that we will not be deterred, that we will stand strong!
Rights are never given; they are always taken and defended viciously. We’ve taken the streets, what comes next is in our hands…
Please bring extra shoes that you’re willing to lose!
West Denver Copwatch 