By Lawrence Hamm
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The People’s Organization For Progress (POP) will have a press conference on the rise of police brutality in the U.S. and the need for police reform to commemorate the murder of George Floyd on the anniversary of his death Saturday, May 25, 2024, 11:00am, at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Ave, Newark, NJ.
“We are having this press conference to point out that since the death of George Floyd police brutality has continued to rise, and that it must stop,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. “Legislation to prevent the use of unnecessary and excessive force by police and to curb their power which has been languishing in the halls of Congress and state legislatures, must be passed.”
“We want justice for the victims of police brutality. Officers that have unjustifiably killed and hurt people must be held accountable and prosecuted,” he said.
POP is a grassroots racial and social justice organization which has been active on the issue of police brutality since it was established 42 years ago. Hamm, who has been the group’s chairman since it was founded, is also a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
“Four years ago George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin. Protests erupted throughout the nation and around the world over the death of Mr. Floyd,” Hamm said. “For decades activists tried to alert the nation to the problem of police brutality, and draw attention to horrendous cases of police killings and torture, but many people, particularly those in power refused to admit that it existed.”
“However, the murder of Mr. Floyd, the circumstances surrounding his death, and the manner in which it was revealed, made it impossible to ignore, minimize, or dismiss the problem of police brutality in our society any longer,” he said. “In response to the death of Mr Floyd there was an outcry throughout the nation for reform of the police. Elected officials introduced legislation at local, state, and federal Levels, designed to curb police killings, violence, and abuse of constitutional rights.”
“A lot of bills dealing with the issue of police brutality were introduced in city councils, state legislatures, and Congress. However, over the past four years relatively few of them have actually become law,” he said. “There has been a lot of legislative smoke on the issue of police brutality but very little fire. Things have changed very little since the death of George Floyd. In fact they have gotten worse.”
“Last year, the police in the United States killed 1,232 people. That’s more people killed in single year than in any year since they started keeping statistics on this problem,” Hamm said. “It seems that collectively the police have learned nothing since the death of George Floyd. Many still act as though they will face few consequences for killing, brutalizing, and violating the rights of Black people and others in this country.”
“Carl Dorsey, Najee Seabrooks, Bernard Placide, Andrew Washington, Major Gulia Dale III, and U.S. Airman Roger Fortson, are just a few of the many people unjustly killed by police since the death of George Floyd,” he said. “Action must be taken now on the issue of police brutality or the problem will only continue to grow worse. The way police have been used to suppress student protests against the genocidal war in Gaza demonstrates how police brutality is a threat to democracy.”
At the federal level the People’s Organization For Progress supports passage of the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act and the Breathe Act. At the state level the group supports assembly bill A-3441 which would enable local municipalities to establish police review boards with subpoena powers.
Attendees at the press conference will include activists and family members of police brutality victims.
For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) at 973 801-0001.
