Just this Monday, Jayland Walker was killed by the City of Akron police in Firestone Park for allegedly fleeing a traffic stop. Multiple officers fired some 90 shots at Walker, with around 60 bullets striking him. APD then handcuffed Walker after shooting him. Bodycam footage has yet to be released to the public or Walker's family. The City of Akron has canceled upcoming weekend celebrations and closed roads in anticipation of protests. And in fact, we've already seen groups protest against the police Thursday afternoon. We're sensitive to this. We're outraged when the police kill anyone, and we understand taking to the streets to vent and grieve and demand change. We're also keeping in mind a few things:
-- Walker's family — We've been communicating with someone who is in contact with Walker's family, and we want to respect their wishes. So far, they've expressed a desire for peace, but we are waiting to hear from them if this changes.
-- What are we demanding? — We're seeking to defund and eventually rethink policing, abolishing the police in their current form and having their budget redistributed in more beneficial ways. It might be cathartic to get into the streets and yell, "Fuck the police," and we would never discourage anyone from doing this. That said, we don't think a few isolated protests will bring about the change we're seeking.
-- How can we best bring about these changes? — In short, we don't know. The massive George Floyd and BLM protests of 2020 were widespread, sustained, inspiring and yet, they changed very little materially. In fact, many police budgets have only increased since then. What we think we can do now is to pressure City Council to divert money from police into better programs. We need the community to show up and speak their mind at the next City Council meeting on July 11 at 7 p.m. You can register to speak here, and you can do so remotely on Zoom or in-person. Here are just a few things Akron could spend some of its nearly $60 million police budget on: mental health services, non-police traffic services, public transportation, education, jobs programs, etc.
We encourage you to bring your own ideas, or share them with us at [email protected]. That goes doubly for events that you would like to promote or organize. We are a democratic organization, and we rely on you for input and action. You can also make yourself heard at your ward meeting. Find your ward here and the ward meeting calendar here.
In the meantime, take care and stay safe. You can always support Akron DSA by paying dues monthly or giving a one-time donation.
