Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) released a list of demands to governors, mayors, and police chiefs for the protection of protesters. The recent killings of Black Americans, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, by former and current police officers have further exposed the need for immediate police accountability and reforms. Consequently, tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest police violence. In many cities, peaceful protesters have been met with an aggressive and violent response from law enforcement.

You can make a difference by contacting your Governor, Mayor, and Police Chief and demanding that they condemn police violence and immediately implement the following policing reforms:

  • Refrain from using military equipment for crowd control and require officers to interact with protesters in a respectful and positive manner.
  • Promote crowd control tactics, including de-escalation, that will not cause injury, and establish clear limits on the use of force.
  • Prohibit the use of tear gas for crowd control.
  • Engage with community leaders to create dialogue before and during assemblies.
  • Protect and respect constitutional rights.
  • Ensure officers are accountable and identifiable during protests.
  • Immediately and thoroughly investigate incidents of violence against protesters

 

For more information about these demands, please see a national coalition letter recently forwarded to the Minneapolis Mayor and Police Chief.

Additionally, if you or someone you know is arrested during a demonstration, please consider the free legal and jail support resources listed here.

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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