{"id":4774,"date":"2016-07-08T15:23:17","date_gmt":"2016-07-08T20:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/?p=4774"},"modified":"2016-07-08T15:23:17","modified_gmt":"2016-07-08T20:23:17","slug":"local-groups-respond-to-police-killings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/local-groups-respond-to-police-killings\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Groups Respond to Police Killings"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. LOUIS, MO (July 8, 2016) \u2013 In the wake of last night\u2019s killings of five police officers by a sniper\u00a0during a protest in Dallas, TX that followed this week\u2019s shooting deaths\u00a0of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA and Philando Castile in St. Paul, MN, local groups\u00a0supporting the Movement for Black Lives and policing reforms, including the Coalition Against Police\u00a0Crimes and Repression, Don\u2019t Shoot Coalition, Empower Missouri, Organization for Black Struggle,\u00a0Metropolitan Congregations United Police Reform Task Force, Missouri Immigrant and Refugee\u00a0Advocates, and Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, and Peace Economy Project,\u00a0issued the following statement:<\/em><\/p>\n

Senseless killing is senseless killing. The shooting of officers and civilians in Dallas does nothing to\u00a0advance the cause of justice regarding extrajudicial killing by police, and there is no reason to believe\u00a0the Dallas shooters were in any way connected to the peaceful protesters outraged by this\u00a0week\u2019s deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police.<\/p>\n

When tensions are high, and the nation is at a point of extreme frustration at our inability to stop the\u00a0taking of black lives by government authorities, it is deeply disappointing but hardly surprising that\u00a0horribly misguided individuals would lash out. We are confident that our criminal justice system will\u00a0hold them accountable.<\/p>\n

We have not seen law enforcement held to the same level of accountability in the\u00a0endless killing of people of color without justification and under color of law. Until we do, the disparate\u00a0treatment, and the justified anger that black lives still do not matter in this country, will unfortunately\u00a0cause the situation to spin further out of control. It is well past the time that the government needs to\u00a0make clear that it will not condone the taking of innocent lives by those wearing uniforms as well as by\u00a0those who do not.<\/p>\n

Our sincere condolences go out to all victims of violence, and we will continue to work toward the day\u00a0when the families of black people across this country, as well as the families of police officers, are no\u00a0longer forced to mourn their loved ones gunned down in our streets.<\/p>\n