Greetings NOCOP friends and supporters,
We hope that this newsletter finds you well! These last few months we have continued to build a broad united front, furthering our relationships with Union Migrante and unions in our united fightback against Trump's attacks. With Trump's attacks threatening our consent decree and our most marginalized, our need for community oversight of the police is more apparent than ever, and we are ready to fight for our demand!
Upcoming events/meetups - we would love to see you!
June 19 @ Cafe Istanbul from 3 to 10 : NOCOP Juneteenth Fundraiser & Community Block Party! RSVP here.
May Day March
In a successful effort to broaden our united front, we - alongside Union Migrante, several unions, and others in the May Day coalition march - took the streets to celebrate the fighting spirit of International Workers day on May 1st. We stood in direct opposition to Trump's cutting of federal workers and countless attacks on immigrants. Hundreds of people gathered at the Benito Juarez statue and marched to demand New Orleans remain a sanctuary city and demand an end to the attacks on workers and immigrants by Trump's racist agenda.
George Floyd National Day of Action
On the five-year angelversary of George Floyd’s murder by killer cop Derek Chauvin, May 25th, we rallied at City Hall and marched to the Federal Building downtown. We marched in opposition to Trump's most recent attacks: Executive Order 14288, which seeks to strengthen policing, and the anti-immigrant “Project Homecoming”, which puts more police power towards deportations.
Trump’s Executive Order 14288 leaves the future of the New Orleans consent decree uncertain, and so now, more than ever, we need to further our relationships with our allies and heighten our call to demand for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC)!
Family and Defense Work
Toni Jones, our NOCOP chair, was found guilty on 2 of 4 charges after being arrested for standing up for student protestors last March. Toni was found not guilty of resisting arrest or obstructing a public space. But was found guilty on charge of battery and obstructing an investigation. While the penalty has no jail time,Toni has been fined $375. Find out more on fightback news.
Dr. Jaime Johnston has been fighting to protect her son Jrue after he disclosed ongoing sexual abuse by his father. Jaime has repeatedly gone to NOPD for help, and has been arrested each time. After months of struggle and community support in the courts, we are happy to say that Jaime, alongside her mother and father, have been found not guilty after facing bogus felony kidnapping charges. You can find more on Jaime’s cases and her story on fightback news.
Stay Tuned / Going Forward
We have dedicated the second quarter of the year to building a strong foundation for our CPAC campaign, reaching almost 2,000 signatures! As Trump continues to put more power into the hands of the police and ICE, we will continue to fight alongside our allies to strengthen our demand for community control via a Civilian Police Accountability Council and fightback against Trump’s agenda.
If you want to take part in this work, please reach out to us via social media– @NOCOP on Facebook and @n.o.cop on Instagram – or email us at neworleanscpac@gmail.com. We host open meetings on the first of every month and perform outreach on a regular basis and would love to have you there.
Yours in Struggle,
New Orleans for Community Oversight of the Police