Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment and Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline stand in solidarity with protesters in the Capital District, Minnesota, New York City, across the nation and across the world who are demanding an end to the police violence that is terrorizing Black communities and communities of color. Black lives matter.
We demand justice for George Floyd, who was brutally murdered by Minnesota Police officers on May 25 and the countless others who for decades have been victims of police violence. We call for the full prosecution of all police officers involved in the May 25th and similar heinous acts, for compensation to their families and communities, and for an end to militarized policing and other practices that lead to the victimization of community of color through police violence.
Police brutality is part of the same system that leads to more Black and Brown people dying or being hospitalized with Covid-19, suffering from asthma and cancer caused by environmental degradation of their communities, and having their lives devastated by climate destruction as in the case of superstorms Sandy and Irene.
There can be no environmental justice without racial justice. As we recover from this pandemic, we must build a new society that honors Black and Brown lives and our planet. Punishment, and violence, can no longer be wielded under the banner of “public safety”. Environmental degradation and climate destruction can no longer hide behind the veil of “economic growth and prosperity”. Our new economy must prioritize people and the planet, and we must ensure that the people and communities most affected by state violence and climate destruction benefit most from recovery efforts.