Stop Mass Incarceration Network Five Borough Action to Blow The Whistle on “Stop-and-Frisk”

via the Stop Mass Incarceration Network

WHEN: Thursday September 13 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
WHERE: 5 borough locations below

New York, NY – On Thursday, September 13, in every borough of New York City, people who have had enough of the illegal NYPD policy of stop-and-frisk will gather at various locations to “Blow the Whistle” in areas heavily targeted by the NYPD. The Stop Mass Incarceration Network says 14,500 whistles have been distributed to communities, with another 6,000 to be given out Thursday.

According to NYPD figures, every day almost 2,000 mostly black and Latino males are stopped by the NYPD, subjected to stop-and-frisk, which the Network calls “unconstitutional, unjust, and racist.”. Organizers say, “In the face of the massive public outcry against stop-and-frisk, the NYPD is doubling down. They are on pace to stop and frisk almost as many people in 2012 as their record in 2011 of 684,000. Now is the time to organize widespread political resistance that can end to stop-and-frisk.”

Carl Dix, co-initiator of the Blow the Whistle to Stop-and-Frisk campaign, said: "On Thursday, September 13, people in NY, Cleveland, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco and other cities will declare their determination to no longer accept this official abuse in silence. We will blow the whistle on what the criminal ‘injustice’ system does to people, and we will look out for each other and have each other's backs. We will carry this spirit of resistance forward from Sept ember 13."

Cornel West, co-initiator of the Blow the Whistle to Stop-and-Frisk campaign, said: “We are blowing the whistle on stop-and-frisk because we love our young people in this city, and especially those who are victimized by this racist and unconstitutional practice, disproportionally black and brown young brothers and sisters, but we love all of them.”

Elaine Brower, a resident of Staten Island who was also arrested protesting this policy says: “It’s time we all stand together with those throughout the city who are being racially profiled by the NYPD. When you see someone being stopped and frisked, blow your whistle to alert the police that their activity is being watched! Blow your whistle to alert others to turn on their cameras and raise their voices! Blow the whistle to stop violations of our rights. If thousands of us participate in calling attention to this illegitimate practice by the NYPD, we will end it.”

3:00 pm Action locations:

Harlem: 125th & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd, State Office Building
Brownsville Brooklyn: Rockaway & Livonia
South Bronx: 174th & Manor, Bronx River Projects
Jamaica Queens: Jamaica Avenue & Parsons Blvd.
Staten Island: Stuyvesant Place & Wall Street, Bay Street near SI Ferry

6:00 pm Union Square, south side

The Call to Blow the Whistle on Stop-and-Frisk on September 13th
To those who are tired of seeing police step to our youth with harassment, brutality and even worse; to those outraged because the NYPD stopped and frisked 684,000 people last year alone; to Black and Latino youth tired of knowing that every time you leave your house you might be descended on by cops; to parents who fear that no matter what you tell your kids about surviving an encounter with cops it won’t be enough to keep them safe; to people who know this will never happen to them but also know it’s wrong — join us on September 13th to “Blow the Whistle on Stop & Frisk!”

Stop & Frisk is racist, and it’s no damned good. People have begun to stand up and fight it. In the face of the massive public outcry, the NYPD is doubling down. They are on pace to stop and frisk even more people this year. Now is the time to unleash resistance that can sweep Stop & Frisk away. The racial profiling Stop & Frisk concentrates is a pipeline to mass incarceration and the warehousing of our youth in prison. We don’t have to suffer all this anymore, and we won’t. There is no good reason for Stop & Frisk to remain in effect. It’s illegal and illegitimate. It must be stopped! We are going to stop it, and you must join us in doing that!

Join us in Blowing the Whistle on Stop and Frisk! On September 13th, thousands of people all across NYC will politically confront the cops who are violating people’s rights. We will be blowing whistles to call out these injustices and using cameras to document the criminal actions of the cops. At 6 PM, we will all blow our whistles at once to signal to all those who have been targeted by Stop & Frisk, to all those who have stood up against it and to the cops and officials who enforce it that there are people all over who will no longer be silent. And in cities across the country, people have to act in solidarity: Blowing the Whistle on the way cops target Black and Latino youth, whether they call it Stop & Frisk or not.

On September 13th we will say in a strong, united voice: WE WILL NO LONGER STAND BY SILENTLY WHILE PEOPLE ARE DENIED THEIR RIGHTS. Our actions on that day will drive a nail into the coffin of Stop & Frisk.

Be a part of making this day happen. Get your whistles and get them out to others in your neighborhood, at your school, in your workplace or in your place of worship. Spread the word and organize people you know to be a part of this day. Take to the streets on September 13th and with us declare that the days when the cops can violate people’s rights however they want, when people aren’t inspired and organized to politically resist this kind of injustice are no more.