Friend –

Only five days ago, Jacob Blake was shot in his back seven times by police officers while walking away to get into his car. This happened in broad daylight and in full view of his three children.

That racialized police violence like this and the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Eric Garner, and countless others, are now commonplace shows very clearly that American policing is a crisis in and of itself.

We can no longer throw money and resources at this hopelessly broken institution: It's time to start divesting from the police. As one of our dedicated activists, we know you care deeply in this fight – so we're sharing four resources to help you take action over the weekend:

1. Call for the resignations of Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis and Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth for their inexcusable responses to both the shooting of Jacob Blake and the protests demanding justice for him. To demand Police Chief Miskinis's resignation, contact the Kenosha Police and Fire Commission at 262-653-4135. For the resignation of Sheriff Beth, contact Governor Tony Evers' Office at 608-266-1212.
2. Know your rights when protesting. Whether it is in Kenosha, WI or Washington D.C. or Washington, DC, be safe and know your rights when taking to the streets.
3. Learn and share the facts on police violence on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The ACLU has laid out the research and reasons for systematically transforming policing in America.
4. Join the Commitment March livestream today at any time between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. As a sponsor of this unifying event, we hope that you can join virtually as we all fight for police accountability and criminal justice. (Note: This link will take you to a third-party website, nationalactionnetwork.net.)

ACLU Supporter, we're hoping for Jacob Blake's full recovery, and demand justice for him, his family, and his community. Mr. Blake is a father, son, and friend. And Kenosha police tried to kill him.

We cannot allow another sickening act of police brutality like this pass without implementing transformational reforms.

And the militarized response to protests in Kenosha over the last several days, as well as President Trump's misguided move to send in federal law enforcement there, only exacerbates this point.

This country's epidemic of police violence against Black people must come to an end. Together, let's continue to fight for equal justice – and the civil rights and liberties of us all.

Thank you for taking action,

The ACLU Team