Earlier this morning, Black Youth Project 100 NYC and DC chapters, Black Lives Matter DC and Million Hoodies NYC chapter began simultaneous actions in New York City and Washington, disrupting the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association’s (PBA) business as usual. As of this posting, protestors in New York are being arrested and the protest in Washington is still ongoing.
Campaign Action
In Washington, Black Youth Project 100 and Black Lives Matter occupied the legislative office of the National Fraternal Order of Police and blocked traffic “to demand that police officers invested in accountability and justice stop paying dues to the FOP, a private police union that protects officers – including those who kill and maim civilians – by ensuring they are paid administrative leave while under investigation, maintain their jobs, and are not charged or acquitted of wrongdoing.”
From Black Youth Project 100 DC:
“The FOP acts like a college fraternity and is responsible for maintaining the harmful, lethal, unethical, and unaccountable culture of policing while the families and communities impacted when officers brutalize civilians are left to mourn with little, if any, semblance of justice. Just like college frats that further rape culture by closing ranks to protect members who are sexual assailants, the FOP has proven that their primary commitment is to protect the worst of their members behind the ‘Blue Wall of Silence’ – even in the most heinous of circumstances. The FOP is the most dangerous fraternity in America and they need to be stopped,” remarks Clarise McCants, BYP100 DC Organizer.
Click here to watch the livestream of the action in Washington.
In New York, Black Youth Project 100 NYC and Million Hoodies NYC occupied “the Lower Manhattan headquarters of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) to demand the immediate firing of Officer Wayne Isaacs and to call attention to the multiple institutions that hamper police accountability in the city.”
From Black Youth Project 100 NYC’s statement:
“The police are trying to manipulate the conversation. They are trying to manipulate all of us into believing that they are at risk. They are not at risk. Police officers are the threat. Police do not keep us safe. Police do not protect us. They are the danger that keeps Black people unsafe. We met divest from institutions that do not value us and instead invest in Black communities.” – Rahel Mekdim Teka, BYP100 NYC Organizing Chair
Click here to watch the livestream of the New York action.
You can also follow both actions on Twitter using #FreedomNow and #StopFOP.
For those new to these organizations (Black Youth Project 100, Black Lives Matter, and Million Hoodies), all three have been at the forefront of direct action in cities across the country. Today’s actions will likely lead to arrests.
From Black Youth Project 100's website: “BYP 100 is an activist member-based organization of Black 18-35 year olds, dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. We do this through building a collective focused on transformative leadership development, direct action organizing, advocacy and education.” This work costs money, click here to donate.
From Black Lives Matter DMV website: “Black Lives Matter DC is a collective of organizers, activists, and artists in DC who work to combat anti-blackness and racialized oppression in all of its manifestations as experienced by Black and African diasporic people.” This work costs money, click here to donate.
From Million Hoodies website: “Million Hoodies Movement for Justice is a racial justice membership organization confronting anti-black racism and systemic violence. Our mission is to build next generation human rights leaders to end mass criminalization and gun violence through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and education.” This work costs money, click here to donate.