The Black Lives Matter movement has captured the attention of the whole world. Below we bring you a story from a leader of Detroit Will Breathe about the fight to end racism and police terror. — The Editors
Photo / Mark Klockow
DETROIT, MI — Detroit Will Breathe (DWB) is a militant, youth-led organization that formed in the streets of Detroit in the aftermath of the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Despite the brutalization of protesters in an attempt to stop the movement, activists continue to mobilize in defense of Black and Brown lives. Following a summer of police brutality, DWB filed a lawsuit against the city of Detroit and a federal judge has since granted a restraining order against the use of excessive force by the Detroit Police Department (DPD.) Still, the city has filed a counterclaim for civil conspiracy as a way of intimidating us to drop our lawsuit.
As we fight to have this racist and absurd claim dismissed, the Detroit City Council voted to approve additional funding for the DPD counterclaim on January 26: $200,000 of taxpayer money was sent to the Clark Hill law firm, despite vehement public opposition. Council members hope to prove protesters were outside agitators inciting violence. This argument holds no merit, and that same day, 200+ charges were dismissed against BLM protesters from summer 2020 due to lack of evidence. This council vote is another intimidation tactic and a failure to represent the interests of the people they serve. This theft of taxpayer dollars is driving a racist counterclaim that mirrors counterclaims brought against civil rights activists in the 1960s.
Additionally, $600 million of illegally assessed property taxes have robbed tens of thousands of Detroit homeowners over the past ten years. These illegal tax assessments and evictions are forms of state violence against Black and Brown people. In January 2021, DWB joined Detroit Eviction Defense to support Black women illegally evicted from their residences by abusive landlords with the help of DPD, violating the COVID-19 eviction moratorium. Since our initial rally, several more women have come forward with similar stories. DPD is also asking for a $40 million increase on its already exorbitant $330 million budget. Rather than putting additional funding toward police violence and repression, the city council should be allocating resources toward housing, healthcare, and education.
Our struggle also extends into the suburbs. In May 2020, Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide posted violent remarks toward BLM protesters via social media, calling them “wild savages” and “vicious subhumans,” stating he would send them “home in body bags”. After a one-month suspension, Shelide was reinstated. On October 24, DWB joined joined SHIFT-Suburban Solidarity for Social Justice to demand accountability for the racism in Shelby Township and demand the removal of Shelide. Upon marching, protesters were attacked by five different police departments and were met with SWAT and K-9 units. Five protesters, who would later be known as the Shelby 5, were charged with felonies. On January 25, six additional activists were charged with misdemeanors for their participation in the October action. The new Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido chose to co-sign these egregious Jim Crow-style tactics, setting a double standard of “law and order” as displayed by the way right-wing extremists were treated at the Capitol insurrection. Shelby Township refuses to address its racism and displays its history as a sundown town that will do anything to uphold white supremacy.
Undeniable similarities between Detroit and Shelby Township include intimidation and repressive tactics used to encourage state violence and uphold white supremacy. To fight back, we must continue to organize around these issues. We must continue to challenge officials and politicians who promote police brutality against those who dare to question the system of capitalism and white supremacy. We must continue to focus on housing issues, such as evictions and illegal tax assessments, recognizing them as forms of state violence used to displace Black and Brown people. We must continue to challenge the power of the state and demand the redistribution of resources back into the hands of the working class and the oppressed. We must refuse the hyper-surveillance of Black and Brown bodies and continue to fight for their lives. As we look ahead, we are committed to fighting for justice and liberation for all oppressed people.
Jordan Weber is an organizer and leader with Detroit Will Breathe.
