(ANTIMEDIA) Los Angeles, CA — Concerned Los Angeles residents have been speaking out at the LA Police Commission meetings for over two years, demanding the Los Angeles Police department stop shooting unarmed or lightly armed people. The LAPD leads the nation in what are euphemistically called “officer-involved shootings.”
On July 12, 2016, hundreds of frustrated Angelenos gathered outside the LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, trying to enter the police commission meeting. The meeting room only holds 75 people, and the overflow room was coincidentally closed that day. Concerned residents of LA pleaded with the commission to hold the officers who shot Redel Jones accountable. However, the commission decided the police shooting of Jones as she ran away from officers was “in policy,” meaning no officer would be punished.
Immediately after the commission read their decision, hundreds of concerned community members walked quietly to Los Angeles City Hall with the goal of speaking with Mayor Eric Garcetti. As they walked through the doors, they were met with riot police who pushed them out and forcefully detained two people. The group then decided they were not leaving until the mayor moved to fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. They put out a call for tents and set up camp on the east side of City Hall, where they have remained twenty-four hours a day for over three weeks.
Here are three ways you can take action:
1. Sign the online petition demanding Mayor Eric Garcetti fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
2. Call LA Mayor Eric Garcetti at 213-978-0600 and tell him you won’t feel safe going to Los Angeles until he fires LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. Leave a nice, long message reminding him you will remember his name as he reaches for higher political aspirations.
3. If you are in the Los Angeles area, come to the police commission meeting Tuesday morning at 9:30 AM, and speak during commission comments and open public comments. Express your objections to LAPD officers killing unarmed people. If you wish to speak, you will need to fill out comments cards, which are located at the back of the room.
This article (Dear Los Angeles, It’s Time to Fire Police Chief Charlie Beck) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to PM Beers and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. Image credits: @direct700/Mayor of Los Angeles. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org.