Organizers say preparations are in the final stages for an upcoming three-day Weekend of Resistance in Ferguson. From New York to Los Angeles, the weekend of resistance will mark a national call for non-violent action to end systemic racial police bias and violence against black and brown communities.
“I hope every good citizen who is able to will join Hands Up United in Ferguson October 10-13 to show America that we are all with them,” stated one activist from Pittsburgh via Twitter.
People from across the country will converge on Ferguson to continue the fight for justice for Michael Brown and mobilize a broader movement for racial justice. Hands Up United, The Organization for Black Struggle (OBS), and Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE) will join more than 40 organizers, said Montague Simmons, Weekend of Resistance spokesman and OBS chair. He said organizers have invited the Brown family to participate.
“What we’ve seen with the Ferguson uprising is that the community can’t take anymore,” Simmons said.
It is the youth in the community that have stepped up, drawn a line and made the demand for real change, he said.
“It’s up to us, at this moment, to make that real,” he said. “The way we do that is by putting our bodies on the line.”
Hands Up United was formed after the unarmed teen was fatally shot by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. More than 40 days have passed since Brown’s death. He joins Eric Garner, John Crawford, Ezell Ford, Amadou Diallo and a long list of other unarmed black men who have been killed by police. Photos of those killed by police are displayed on Hands Up United’s website – the youngest is Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7.
A series of public events – marches, discussions and panels – will be held during the Weekend of Resistance to build momentum for the nationwide movement against police violence.
On Friday, October 10, a protest will be held at the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office in Clayton, followed by a march and rally in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, October 11. On Sunday, October 12, a Clergy and Faith Day of Action will be followed by art installations and film screenings on Monday.
At press time, Simmons said event details were still tentative and that exact times and locations could not be confirmed. Simmons said a full schedule will be released by the end of the week. Harry Belafonte and Cornel West are among the national figures who have expressed interest in coming to St. Louis for events.
The Weekend of Resistance will shed light on a long list of both local and national demands. Locally, organizers have called for Wilson’s arrest, the appointment of a Special Prosecutor, the firing of Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, and de-escalation of militarized policing of protestors, among other changes.
Nationally, although President Obama has addressed ongoing unrest in Ferguson following Brown’s death and sent Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson, organizers have demanded that the president visit personally.
“This is a culture that has embedded itself in cities from coast to coast,” Simmons said. “This is the moment for us to actually challenge patterns of abuse against black and brown communities.”
For updates on scheduled events, visit http://fergusonoctober.com/ or text 90975 Hands Up United for mobile updates.
Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil. E-mail this reporter: boneil@stlamerican.com.