in response to Oscar Grant protests

Stacie, a dear friend of "the radical kids club" sends us this statement released by Critical Resistance. I need to think about pacifism and I need to figure out for myself what forms of resistance I think work in bringing attention to injustice. Regardless of our personal opinions on the matter WE MUST GET THESE CHARGES DROPPED NOW.


Stand against further criminalization of members of our community!
Drop the charges against all people arrested during the Oscar Grant demonstrations!

Oscar Grant’s execution is not an isolated event. Executions of people of color, particularly young people of color, are a brutal reality in our communities, and we are right to be angry.

More than 120 people, mostly young people of color were arrested on January 7th and January 14th; more than 120 people were not allowed to sleep in their homes those nights. Are we any safer without them?

Everyday the police terrorize our communities, and everyday we resist. January 7th and January 14th were a part of this resistance.

We need to rethink real safety in Oakland and in our communities, just as we need to rethink what we call violence. We know the police value private property over human life. And though we might not agree totally with all the targets of people’s understandable rage, we cannot allow sensationalist media images to divide our communities and divert our attention. This is not about broken glass. This is about the police execution of an irreplaceable member of our community.

We need to build leadership as we stand face to face with cops in riot gear. We must collectively share our knowledge and experience so that we can make strong, more informed decisions. We need to stand together as we fight together for community self-determination.

We stand with our youth on the streets and we ask you to stand with us. Our youth cannot be left alone; we cannot leave them hanging or ostracize them for standing up. The police, the city, the state, want us to be divided, and they aim to separate us; that’s why they arrest us, shoot us, and beat us in the streets.

Given what happens in this city, in our communities and neighborhoods everyday, we must stand in the street, express our anger and organize for just, healthy, and sustainable communities. This is not an issue of one “bad” cop. This is about the violence of policing. The trial of this killer cop does not mark the end of our struggle. We must struggle together for collective liberation, to be free from policing, surveillance and incarceration, and to decide for ourselves what being safe really means.

What is happening in Oakland is happening all over the world. On New Year’s day, New Orleans police shot Adolph Grimes III, a 22-year old Black father, 14 times, including 12 times in the back. On this same day, police in Bellaire, Texas shot Robbie Tolan, another unarmed, young Black man, in the chest while in his driveway at home. Robbie Tolan is still in the hospital. While the police continue to terrorize our communities here, the Palestinian people fight for their lives in Gaza against genocide perpetrated by the US-backed state of Israel. We are united with our brothers and sisters in Gaza, with our indigenous relatives in North and South America, with a worldwide struggle for self-determination. We are strong because we know we are not alone.

if you haven't already, please call the following people and ask them to drop the charges.
Alameda County District Attorney Thomas Orloff (510) 272-6222
Mayor Ron Dellums (510) 238-3141



*This statement was written by active members of Critical Resistance Oakland, who are committed to abolishing the prison-industrial complex. (January 14th, 2008).

For more information about Critical Resistance visit: www.criticalresistance.org or call 510-444-0484.