Tacoma Juneteenth vigil for victims of police violence
Tacoma, WA – Community members gathered in People’s Park to honor the memory of victims of police violence on Friday, June 19.
News and Views from the People's Struggle
News and Views from the People's Struggle
Tacoma, WA – Community members gathered in People’s Park to honor the memory of victims of police violence on Friday, June 19.
Oakland, CA — On Tuesday, June 16, over 50 people gathered in person and via Zoom to support Guillermo Medina Reyes at his Mental Health Diversion Court hearing in Alameda County.
Medina is a Bay Area tattoo artist and longtime organizer for the rights of detained immigrants and incarcerated people, having organized hunger and labor strikes during his detention at Golden State Annex in McFarland, California from 2021 to 2023.
By Sparrow McKinney and Brandon Rincon
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 19, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall to hold a Juneteenth rally against the racist attacks on the voting rights act.
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 23, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) held a march through the streets of Colorado Springs demanding justice for one-year old Kohen Wiley, who was murdered by Mississippi police. The march ended at Colorado Springs Police Department headquarters where protestors lit candles, and a moment of silence took place.
COSAARPR was joined by various community organizations and churches including General Strike US, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Vista Grande Community Church of Christ.
“The FRSO condemns the murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley and echoes the demands to bring Hunter Foster to justice” said Jessie Proffit of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Brandon Rincon, the founder and chair of COSAARPR, stated, “Kohen Wiley should be alive. Kohen Wiley was stolen from this world by a racist and rotten police system that has stolen too many lives for us to list.”
The action started at Dorchester Park in downtown Colorado Springs. Chants of “Justice for” were quickly responded with “Kohen Wiley!”.A crowd favorite, “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” was heard all throughout downtown. A crowd of about 20 or so people marched downtown holding signs demanding justice for Kohen Wiley.
#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #KohenWiley #COSAARPR
Brooklyn, NY – Community members and the family of Eudes Pierre gathered Thursday, June 25, for their fourth monthly picket at the NYPD’s 71st Precinct. Alongside Pierre’s family, organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR) demanded justice for Eudes Pierre and put up wanted posters of the officers who murdered him in 2021.
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 24, the family of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) for the murder of their loved one . They held a press conference, along with lawyers Mari Newman and Andy McNulty, at CSPD’s downtown headquarters to announce the lawsuit and demand justice. Alex Martinez-Sarmiento was a 26-year-old “father, son, brother and friend,” said the attorneys in a statement.
Denver, CO – On Saturday, June 20, thousands of people took to the streets of Denver to celebrate Juneteenth. As the parade departed from Denver’s Manual High School in the late morning, the participants were met by a sea of onlookers primarily donned in black, green and red. As the procession made its way through the streets of Denver, spectators cheered on the parade by waving and raising their fists.
Minneapolis, MN – On July 24, pro-Palestine and police accountability advocates as well as local media gathered in the Minneapolis City Hall rotunda around a banner that read, “Drones out of MPLS. Drones out of Palestine. Say no to Skydio.” The Twin Cities-based Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) proceeded to hold a press conference calling on Minneapolis City Council to reject a proposal that would enact a trial program of so-called “drones as first responders” supplied by U.S. drone manufacturer Skydio.
Oakland, CA – On June 19, hundreds of Black Oaklanders gathered around Lake Merritt for an annual Juneteenth celebration. The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression put out a call for a day of action to “Defend families impacted by police crimes,” which led the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Pollical Repression to take action.
Minneapolis, MN – On June 17, the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council-MN (WIAOFC-MN) and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) held a press conference and rally demanding accountability, justice, safety and fairness for all Black youth.
Minneapolis, MN – On June 23, local activist and artist Isavela López walked out of the Minneapolis federal courthouse smiling after the conclusion of her year-long battle against bogus felony charges pushed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an act of political repression.
Tallahassee, FL – On June 20, the Tallahassee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (TallyAARPR) held its Angelversary rally and vigil at the Lynching Historical Marker at Cascades Park to honor the lives of those killed by racist violence.
Aurora, CO – On Monday, June 8, the Aurora City Council voted on Resolution 2-68 to create the new “Public Safety Accountability Office.” The office will investigate incidents involving public departments, including the police. It is supposed to have unrestricted access to department records, release its findings to the public, and assign a family contact when someone is seriously injured or killed.
Aurora, CO – Aurora, Colorado, a large and multinational suburb of Denver, has a well-documented problem with racist policing. From the murders of Kory Dillard and Kilyn Lewis to the torture and murder of Elijah McClain, Aurora Police seem to always be in the news for racism, violence and corruption.
Santa Ana, CA – Sixteen people, including members of Jaden Michaca’s family, lawyers with Carillo Law Firm, and members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) crowded outside Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) to demand justice for Jaden Michaca on Tuesday, June 23. Michaca was only 15 years old and suffering a mental health crisis when he was killed by police just nine days before.
Santa Ana CA – The afternoon of Saturday, June 19, 25 people, including members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) and concerned community members, gathered to demand accountability and transparency after yet another resident was killed by Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) earlier that week.
Chants of “Justice for Jaden Michaca!” and “¡Basta policías asesinos!” could be heard over rush hour traffic at the intersection of the apartment complex where Jaden Michaca was killed.
Michaca was only 15 years old when SAPD officers shot him to death the night of June 14. Early reports from the department offer no details of the officer-involved shooting but justified the officer’s actions by stating that the “suspect” had a knife and was under the influence when they responded to a domestic call. Community members immediately called out SAPD’s statements online and in person, condemning the department for the killing and advocating for stronger community oversight of the department.
David Pulido, a member of CSO OC, opened the event with “We’ve seen enough of these police statements and met enough of their victims to know that we should not trust the police! They criminalize the victim by focusing on drug use and property damage to mark them for death!”
A school counselor who knew Jaden Michaca attended the protest and countered early attempts by police to paint him as a criminal. She stated Michaca “had the biggest heart of any kid I’ve worked with, he was sweet and kind, but he happened to be in a body that looked a little bit older, and that of a Chicano male. I can’t deny that that was a factor in what happened.” Michaca’s death is one of many cases of Chicanos being killed by police across Orange County, including three teenage police shooting victims in the last seven months.
The protesters waved signs that demanded justice for the victim, including others that read “Release the names! Release the tapes!” They demanded the immediate publication of all unedited body camera footage, the full autopsy report, and the names of the officers who killed Michaca.
Attendees marched around the intersection of South Main and West Macarthur Boulevard, chanting “Jail killer cops!” while people driving by honked in support. A white cross decorated with fresh flowers and handwritten messages from the family had been set up near the intersection earlier that week to honor Jaden Michaca’s life.
Family members of Albert Arzola, a 19-year-old killed by Anaheim Police Department (APD) in December 2025, attended to show their support for Jaden Michaca’s family. Albert’s sister Pearl Arzola emphasized, “Jaden Michaca was a young kid, and instead of de-escalating the situation, the cops chose more violence! We need more accountability over Santa Ana PD, a young 15-year-old boy should not die because cops are trigger-happy.”
“I don’t know if you saw that the mayor of Santa Ana, she brushed this shooting off like it was nothing. What the fuck?” yelled CSO OC member Luis Herrera. The community booed and responded “Shame!” He then encouraged the crowd, “We need to unite and organize ourselves to fight for justice, because only through organized struggle can we win community control of the police!”
Abe Quintana of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) brought a historical perspective, stating “We know that there is a long history of racist police killings and violence that targets Chicano communities and immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America. The racism and exploitation we experience exist because they are rooted in the oppression of Aztlan, so we need to fight for our self-determination!”
CSO OC organized the protest, which was also attended by PSL, members of Union Del barrio (UDB), and community members who knew Jaden Michaca. CSO is a grassroots, working-class organization that fights for community control of the police and legalization for all the undocumented. They hold general meetings every third Thursday in Santa Ana and can be reached on Instagram @cso.oc or on Facebook, CSO Orange County. Their police crimes hotline is 714-367-6350.
#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #JadenMichaca #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem
Brooklyn, NY – Organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression gathered in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn on Friday, June 19, to speak out against police crimes that disproportionately affect Black and brown communities of New York City.
New Orleans, LA – On Juneteenth, June 19, 40 people braved the threatening New Orleans weather and gathered on the bricked pavement outside the federal building on Poydras Street to rally for victims of police murder and Black voting rights.
Gulfport, MS – On June 21, a crowd of about 15 people gathered for a rally and vigil against the murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi.
The action was put on by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Mutual Aid Collective, drawing people from organizations including Indivisible, the Gulf Coast Humanists and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).
North Charleston, SC – On June 19, organizers with the Lowcountry Action Committee (LAC), a branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, rallied on the corner of Remount and Craig Streets, a few hundred yards from the site where Walter Scott was murdered by ex-North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager 11 years ago, in 2015.