We need your urgent action: denounce NYPD’s attempts to intimidate & arrest
Derrick Ingram.


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Photo credit: @iamdwreck Instagram

Dear John,

The New York Police Department didn’t have a warrant to arrest Derrick “Dwreck”
Ingram, a prominent organizer of Black Lives Matter events. So instead, on
August 7, they brought dozens of officers, a helicopter, riot gear, and police
dogs to his front door, in a five-hour-long siege, attempting to coerce him into
leaving his home.

Make no mistake: this is a clear attempt to intimidate Black Lives Matter
protesters and chill free speech. The NYPD aimed to mislead Derrick about his rights, threatened to break down
his door, attempted to interrogate him without counsel, and stationed dozens of
officers in his hallway, on his fire escape, and in positions in and around
nearby buildings. The police left only after Derrick livestreamed the events, a large crowd of protesters gathered,
and the media began asking questions.

We MUST speak up for everyone’s right to organize and protest without
intimidation. Send a message to New York District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. to demand that the
investigation into the NYPD’s actions against Derrick Ingram and the right to
protest is done in a prompt, impartial, independent, and transparent manner.
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This wasn’t simply a case of police misuse of power: it was a signal to all would-be protesters. Derrick is a co-founder of Warriors in the Garden, a collective of activists
dedicated to non-violent protest propelling social and legislative change. The
group was a prominent organizer of Black Lives Matter protests in New York City
following George Floyd’s death, and received wide national and international
media coverage.

Amnesty International interviewed Derrick for our June 2020 report, The World is Watching , which documents 125 incidents of human rights abuses by police in the U.S.
over the course of one week of Black Lives Matter protests. During the
interview, he observed that the police seemed to be seeking ways to disrupt
Warriors in the Garden events. “They find ways to intimidate and inconvenience us,” he shared with us.

We need to rally as many voices from across the country as possible — even
though you may not be in New York, join me in demanding a prompt, impartial,
independent, and transparent investigation into the treatment of Derrick Ingram
and all charges brought against him.
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After being the target of the NYPD’s intimidation tactics, Derrick said, “I have never been as frightened, intimidated, and anxious as I was on that
day.” The next day, he went to the local police station accompanied by his attorney
and a crowd of supporters and allies. He has been charged with two misdemeanors:
an alleged assault on an officer by shouting loudly into a megaphone, and
obstruction of government administration during a Black Lives Matter protest on
June 14.

John, even if it weren’t part of a pattern, we’d
need to speak up against this police intimidation. But in the past few months, police violations of human rights are regularly documented and watched by
millions. It’s impossible to see the NYPD’s conduct as anything other than retaliation
against this prominent protester, and we are gravely concerned about the due
process Derrick has been and will be afforded. While the District Attorney of
New York has just revealed his office has opened an investigation into his case,
he must ensure it is prompt, impartial, independent, and transparent.

Act now: speak up for the right to protest and demand fair and just treatment
for Derrick Ingram.
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We will keep you informed in the coming weeks on Derrick’s case, and we will
continue to speak out in full support of all peaceful protesters in New York,
across our country, and around the world.

Thank you for your voice on this important matter.

Denise Bell
Researcher
Amnesty International USA

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