FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kayla Keller, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 281.682.6212

Ferguson, MO–Today, as national guard troops are mobilized and martial law is declared in Ferguson, Missouri, ColorOfChange.org condemns these tactics and urges Attorney General Holder and President Obama to take definitive action to end militarized policing, ensure the proper allocation of federal resources to protect Ferguson residents, and secure immediate justice in the Michael Brown shooting.

The following statement was released by Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org:

“Over the weekend, Ferguson residents experienced some of the worst police violence of this past week, marked by tear gas, unlawful arrests, and widespread abuse of peaceful protestors. This type of misconduct and racially motivated police violence is completely unacceptable. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have taken important steps in response to the tragic police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, but state and local police continue to prove incapable of protecting civil rights. We need definitive federal intervention to stop this course of action and fully confront the devastating militarized police tactics in Ferguson and other communities of color.

“I stand with more than 125,000 ColorOfChange members–Black folks and their allies of every race–who are calling on The President and Attorney General Holder to hold officer Wilson fully accountability for killing Michael Brown and end the escalating police militarization in Ferguson. Gov. Nixon’s decision to enforce Martial Law and bring in the national guard is not the answer, and has the potential to increase police violence against Black Missourians. What we need is increased federal oversight, federal marshals with a clear mandate to peacefully protect civil rights. Our federal government must provide the leadership and resources needed for setting a higher standard of policing and ensuring justice for Michael’s family.

“These violent tactics are used during times of war and have no place in law enforcement. Governor Nixon, Missouri police and local law enforcement are treating Black folks like enemy combatants and turning Ferguson into a battlefield. Unfortunately, this type of militarization has been the case for too long, fueled by the Department of Defense, which promotes the use of military techniques and provides police with weapons intended for war. Black communities across the country remain under siege as a result of high powered, racially prejudiced law enforcement that criminalize, harm, and kill with no repercussion.”

Campaign pages may be seen below:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/mike_brown/

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/mikebrownpresobama/

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With over 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest online civil rights organization.