10/21/2017
On Sept 15th, STLPD Officer Jason Stockley was predictably acquitted for the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith. A small demonstration of outrage, numbering in the hundreds, was met with police brutality that was shocking even for those of us on the Left. Since then, there have been actions every day, ranging from voter registration drives to open-carry demonstrations to mall disruptions. The core message is simple: Stop Killing Us.
The movement in St. Louis has been led by Ferguson frontliners and has been largely ignored. The tactic of mass arrests, with no reading of rights or orders to disperse, has been common from STLPD, as well as unleashed use of chemical agents such as tear gas and pepper pellets, with the tacit encouragement of powers that be. Over 300 have been arrested, and those arrested have not only been demonstrators, but also journalists, legal observers, and onlookers and passers-by.
The activists in St. Louis are in direct confrontation with the disciplinary arm of racial capitalism who deserve our support. Here are the the two primary requests that have been made:
1) Make people aware of what is happening, that a struggle against police repression is vibrant in St. Louis and will continue to be.
2) Support for the St. Louis Legal Fund, as it faces an incredible financial hurdle, aimed at those who resist police brutality, by the police, to maintain their power. https://www.fundedjustice.com/campaigns/61HQD2
We are very proud of our comrades in the St. Louis DSA who have been actively participating and supporting these actions and hope to draw all the support for this movement that we can.
This is a comprehensive legal support fund for use in court and legal costs for activists in the St. Louis region. We are a jail and legal support group working with the community in a mutual aid model.