Rally Against Police Brutality - Tuesday March 15th

Tuesday March 15th — 5PM
51 Division (Front and Parliament St.)
One week last summer the police turned the whole City into a prison. But
in poor neighbourhoods, it’s the G20 everyday. Communities are under
attack by the Police because they are poor, homeless, racialized, First
Nations and immigrants. We are further abused when we fight back. Our
communities are under attack because the police exist to maintain a social
order in this country that protects the government, the banks, and the
rich while criminalizing the rest.

Despite the trillions of dollars stolen, embezzled and extorted by banks
and finance companies that led to this recession, the police are not in
the habit of kicking down doors on Bay St. But they are kicking down
doors, ticketing, arresting, beating and killing people in poor
communities.

March 15th is the International Day Against Police Brutality. A day to
bring awareness to the violence, torture, intimidation and harassment by
our governments' Police Forces. We, the people, the victims and the
survivors will come together to raise our voices to show that we will not
stay silent!

The Toronto Star recently revealed that of the 3,400 investigations the
Special Investigations Unit has conducted into the Toronto Police in its
20-year history, only 95 have resulted in charges, only 16 of those in
convictions, and only 3 of those officers actually went to jail.

Yet we know the police are guilty. Homeless people and people with mental
health issues are routinely harassed, beaten and sometimes killed by
police in this city. Non-status women seeking a safe haven from abuse are
dragged out of shelters by Immigration enforcement officers on tips from
two regular sources: the police, and the very abusers these women are
attempting to escape. Racialized communities are targeted daily by police.

As part of this internationally observed day, a rally has been organized
for Tuesday March 15th. We will be meeting outside of 51 Division at Front
& Parliament. OCAP and other community organizations invite everyone to
come out and show support for victims of Police violence.

No more Police brutality! No more impunity!

~As organized by several community groups, call for more info!
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty ocap@tao.ca 416-925-6939