John,

With militarized police beating back peaceful protests in cities across the US, a program that sends tanks, grenade launchers and tear gas to local police departments is finally in the spotlight.

It’s about time. Scenes of American police wearing military grade body armor and riding in mine resistant tanks through our streets have shocked the world. It doesn’t look like democracy.

But now we have a chance to shut down this disgrace! A bill just introduced in the Senate that would stop weapons of war from going to local police departments is quickly picking up bipartisan support. But without a major push on the streets and online, it could stall out.

That’s where we come in -- a storm of citizens ringing the alarm and calling on Congress to end this dangerous, anti-democratic policy! Sign now, and stay tuned for more ways to take action:

SIGN TO STOP THE PENTAGON TO POLICE PIPELINE

Over the years the innocuous sounding “1033 Program” has allowed the Pentagon to sell or give away more than $7 billion dollars worth of equipment to law enforcement agencies, from armored vehicles, silencers, bayonets to stun grenades! President Obama restricted it in 2014, after the uprising against police violence in Ferguson was brutally repressed -- but during his first year in office Trump reactivated it. 

Military grade weapons and material started flooding our police departments again.

Study after study shows that heavily militarized cops don’t reduce crime. They’re also terrible for our democracy! In recent weeks peaceful protesters demanding justice for Black lives were treated as “enemy combatants" nationwide -- making it easy for an aspiring autocrat like Trump to unleash violence on us all. In a shocking call to governors that was leaked to The New York Times, the president called on governors and the military to “dominate” protestors. 

The militarization of our police has been going on too long. And in the middle of a national conversation about the murder of unarmed Black Americans and defunding the police, the minimum we can do is demand an end to arming local police like soldiers for battle.

Enough. Call on Congress to end this dangerous program today:

SIGN THE PETITION

This urgent campaign is part of a new effort called Ring The Alarm -- a growing community of everyday Americans working together to call out growing authoritarianism, violent white nationalism and out-of-control police militarization in the US. Stay tuned for more, because this is just the beginning. Saving our democracy from creeping authoritarianism requires all of us!