It’s been one year since George Floyd was murdered by Officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, sparking an international uprising against police violence. Over the past year we’ve witnessed an increase in mainstream support for defunding the police, but the movement to do so is neither new nor radical--Black and brown organizers have known for generations that police do not keep us safe, and that real safety comes from divesting in policing and investing in community care, like funding for schools, public health, and affordable housing.
This movement originated with Black and brown New Yorkers in directly impacted communities, and, as white anti-racist New Yorkers, we cannot disengage. It is incumbent upon us to amplify these demands. In the coming weeks, New York City council members will have the opportunity to shape the budget and residents will have the chance to vote in a historic primary election.
Earlier this month, the NYPD presented the City Council with their proposed budget for next year, asking for more money and more personnel and revealing that they had gone $130 million over budget for overtime in the past year. During the hearing, NYPD leadership also lied about kettling protestors last summer and gave vague answers about whether or not police officers who brutalized protestors were ever disciplined.
This year, we need to keep up the momentum and demand that our council members fight for a budget that advances racial justice in this city. The NYPD requires the complicity of white New Yorkers in order to continue killing and brutalizing Black and brown New Yorkers, harassing, abusing, and assaulting sex workers, and creating a massive war chest in order to build a surveillance state. We must use everything in our power to push back against this system of violence.
However, we cannot rely on this year’s budget cycle alone to transform policing in our city. The upcoming primary elections in June represent an opportunity to elect officials who will be accountable to Black and brown frontline organizers. This year, SURJ NYC is making its first foray into the NYC electoral arena because we know that the stakes could not be higher. With five weeks remaining to fundamentally transform our city government, we need all hands on deck. Will you join us? See below for actions and resources on how to use your vote and voice to move money away from the NYPD and toward programs that actually support our communities.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC