[ Golden Gater Online - October 23, 1997 ]
Leslie Fulbright Cruz
Staff writer
Before attending a San Francisco rally recognizing the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, some members of SF State student organizations staged their own version of the event Wednesday with a rally called "Fuck the Police."
The event was organized by the Afrikan Residents Association, the Pan Afrikan Student Union and the Young Comrades and was held in Malcolm X Plaza. It began with 15 minutes of anti-police rap songs and concluded with an open forum for people who wanted to express personal feelings or attitudes about the police.
"For those who have that 'fuck the police' feeling or have had incidents with the police, come up and say 'fuck the police'," said Troy Buckner-Nkrumah, former co-chair of PASU and a speaker at the event. He said the SF State rally was "a separate program" from the citywide rally because organizers there might not allow participants to make a sweeping statement about all police officers such as "fuck the police."
The rally, which was attended by about 75 students, marked the second-annual Stop Police Brutality event. In cities all across the country, people marched, rallied and protested. Many wore black in solidarity with the protests and in memory of the victims of police brutality. At SF State, about half the participants wore all-black clothing.
"I'm here because of the history of police brutality in the African community, from Nat Turner to Abner Louima" said JR Valrey, an SF State student and member of the three organizing groups. Valrey was referring to a Hatian man who was sexually assaulted with a plunger by New York City police officers.
"We're not just talking about local police, we're talking about the CIA, the FBI, the IRS, the ATF, all the police and all the wannabe police in student activities and the criminal justice department," Valrey said.
The University Police Department was also criticized, and Buckner-Nkrumah called Kim Wible, the university police chief, "a little piglet who makes $85,000 a year."
Another student told the crowd he was harassed by police while driving his car in upscale Beverly Hills.
"I was pulled over because I was a black guy in the wrong neighborhood," he said, adding that "most police are on a power trip and have no regard for cultural sensitivity."
Buckner-Nkrumah said the role of police in society is not aimed at justice.
"The role of police is to serve and protect property, not serve and protect peoples' lives or health. They protect wealth, not you," he said.
After the rally, Associated Students provided interested students with free bus tokens so they could attend the citywide march which began at 24th and Mission streets and ended at City Hall. An AS spokesperson was unsure how many students took the organization up on its offer.
[ Golden Gater - October 23, 1997 ]