<[link removed]>Note: Today’s message contains descriptions of police brutality related to the murder of Eric Garner. If you prefer to skip this message, please consider supporting his family’s ongoing advocacy with a contribution to the E.R.I.C. Initiative Foundation <[link removed]> today.

Friend,

Ten years ago today, Eric Garner was murdered by the NYPD.

Even for those of us steeped in activism and advocacy work, there are unforgettable, watershed moments.

This was one of them.

<[link removed]>The horrible irony is that Eric wasn’t even the target that day. A fight had broken out in the neighborhood, and someone called the police for help.

Eric, the 6’3” father of six, known to the neighborhood as a ‘gentle giant’, helped break up that fight and calm everyone down.

NYPD arrived on the scene after the commotion was over, and instead of moving along they began to harass the good samaritan who stepped in to help.

Eric was accused of selling untaxed cigarettes. They argued with him. As he became frustrated, they tackled him to the ground without cause.

The officers pinned him down using an illegal chokehold maneuver, and Eric repeatedly cried out “I can’t breathe!” until he died.

In the weeks that followed, those words became a rallying cry – one that would resurface six years later in the murder of George Floyd.

Ten years after Eric’s murder, we are no closer to the radical reordering of prisons and policing that his death demanded.

Despite millions of people marching and demanding change, both Democrats and Republicans continue dumping billions of dollars into militarizing the police.

Instead of answering the demands of citizens who speak out against state sanctioned violence, they are building Cop Cities all across America to train cops as dystopian super soldiers suppressing free speech and the right to protest – training organized and provided by Israeli soldiers, in many cases.

That changes with us.

Our campaign worked with activists, advocates, experts, and community leaders to put forth a transformative agenda on prisons and policing <[link removed]>.

When elected, I will push Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. But that is just the beginning.

I will end qualified immunity – a practice first established to protect members of the KKK — that currently acts as a shield for police brutality and prosecutorial misconduct.

I will bring ALL police misconduct allegations under federal authority so cops with repeated allegations of abuse and violence can’t shop for a new city to brutalize when they’ve worn out their welcome in another.

We will do all of this and a whole lot more, and we will have justice for Eric – whose legacy still lives on through his family’s advocacy.

A few months ago, Eric’s mother Gwen opened the first office location of the E.R.I.C. Initiative Foundation on Staten Island.

<[link removed]>The E.R.I.C. Initiative Foundation works with families who have been victims of police brutality and seeks to address the underlying issues of systemic racism and reforming our systems of prison and policing.

As we mark 10 years since Eric’s death, I ask that you join me today in making a contribution to support his family’s work.

<[link removed]>Donate to E.R.I.C. <[link removed]>And if you’re able to give twice today, help me build a brand new legal system that’s actually centered on JUSTICE by delivering our mandate for change at the ballot box this November <[link removed]>.

Eric’s murder was a senseless act of casual police brutality that we vehemently condemn – and we will never accept this as normal.

You can learn more about our plans to transform prisons and policing in America on our platform here <[link removed]>. Please share freely to help us spread the word!

In solidarity and gratitude,

Jill

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Jill Stein for President, www.jillstein2024.com
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