March 15th Declared International Day Against Police Brutality

Brutality: An extreme manifestation of police "force".

The Police: A bunch of organized and legalized
criminals at the service of capitalism and the state.

In Montreal: Demonstration called by COPB. Friday
March 15th. Berri Square. 5p.m. Contact:
nefacmtl

In Quebec City: March 15th Cultural event. Contact:nefacquebec

In Toronto: March 15th. Mass flyering in the
working-class (and police occupied) neighborhood of
Parkdale. Contact the Freyheyt Collective at
freyheyt


In Boston: Educationnal. Lucy Parsons Center. Contact: sabate36

Police are constantly a part of our lives. In the
urban centers of our region, it is normal to cross a
patrol car every two minutes. We are no longer
surprised or alerted when we see police officers. On
the contrary, we are surprised when they are absent!
Police are everywhere and justice is nowhere to be
found; the forces of "law and order" reinforce a
regime which seeks to crush and criminalize the poor
and the powerless when they protest their class
conditions.

Stealing food from a supermarket is "illegal" because
it protests the commodification of food supply and
distribution rackets. Acting politically in a direct
and autonomous fashion is "anti-democratic" and
"illegal", since "legal" politics are strictly
reserved to politicians and lobbyists. Police prevent
demonstrations which question the social peace of our
rulers from taking place, claiming them to be
"illegal" assemblies. The police break-up picket lines
of "illegal" strikers to let "legal" scabs pass
through. Police evict people from their homes and
squatters from their squats in the name of a "legal"
notice emitted by real estate owners... It's no
coincidence that it's often one class of people who
end up in "illegality" and a whole other class of
people who end up in "legality". While the police
protect the privileges of the powerful, the decision
makers, the rulers, the rich and the owners... it
tries to prevent the rest of us from struggling,
organizing and even sometimes from satifying our most
basic needs.

But, on top of maintaining the chains of capitalism
and the State on us, the police often take pleasure in
squeezing them, increasing their tension until our
bones break and our blood flows. Police beat, torture,
brutalize and kill. This year, on March 15th 2002, we
will walk and protest in solidarity with Carlo
Guliani, an anarchist, 23, killed last July in an
anti-globalization demonstration in Genoa, Italy. We
will be with Timothy Thomas, a young black man, 19,
who was shot by police last April, becoming the 15th
black victim of police murder in Cincinnati in the
last 5 years. We stand with Abner Louima, victim of
one of the worst cases of police brutality in New York
City's history. Our solidarity will also be extended
to the insurgents of Argentina, Bolivia and elsewhere,
particularly to the martyrs of the uprisings. Even
more, we would like to emphasize our support of all
the anonymous victims of the forces of the State.
People who while having faced acts of brutality, often
find themselves isolated in their legal struggle
against the police to regain their dignity and some
sense of justice. It is extremely important to let
these people know that they shouldn't be disempowered
by acts of police brutaility against them and that we
are right in being outraged!

We salute the work of groups like the Collective
Opposed to Police Brutality (COPB) from Montreal, who
actively support victims of police brutality. On top
of guiding them through the legal process, COPB brings
friendly solidarity and tries to demonstrate that a
larger, collective struggle is possible against this
form of oppression. They teach us all the precious
lesson that in face of repression, solidarity is our
strongest weapon! We believe that it is by organizing
and struggling with people who have been closely
touched by the police plague, these people who often
share our rage against authority, that we will be able
to build a mass revolutionary movement that will trace
extreme manifestations of authority to it's source:
the domination of one class over another, the rule of
the rich and the rulers over the poor and ruled. We
call on all revolutionary anarchists and all the
supporters of anti-authoratarian revolution, on all
the victims of police brutality and all the people who
can no longer stomach this system of injustice to
participate in the 6th International Day of Police
Brutality. Like in the last six years, this day is as
important as ever. The culture of resistance to the
police is growing! This day is truly international, in
past years, March 15th demonstrations have been held
in Colombia, Chile, Switzerland, Chattanooga Tennessee
etc. This year, our organization, the Northeastern
Federation of Anarcho-Communists (NEFAC) has agreed to
join COPB locally in Montreal to help mobilize for the
March 15th demonstration. Events around IDAPB will
also be held in different cities of our region.

In Montreal: Demonstration called by COPB. Friday
March 15th. Berri Square. 5p.m. Contact:
nefacmtl

In Quebec City: March 15th Cultural event. Contact:nefacquebec

In Toronto: March 15th. Mass flyering in the
working-class (and police occupied) neighborhood of
Parkdale. Contact the Freyheyt Collective at
freyheyt


In Boston: Educationnal. Lucy Parsons Center. Contact: sabate36

Police injustice will no longer be tolerated!
Our struggle has no borders, it's the struggle of our
class thoughout the world!
For Anarchy and Communism!

Northeastern Federation of Anarcho-Communists (NEFAC)
nefac

*For more information on International Day Against
Police Brutality. Visit the COPB website at
COPB