Lina Francis, lina.francis@sierraclub.org
Kenosha, WI -- Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and the Sierra Club Southeast Gateway Group Co-Chairs Tom Rutkowski and Laura Buska issued the following statement following the shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha Police Department officers. In June, following the tragic murder of George Floyd, the Sierra Club joined racial justice activists to call to defund the police and invest in initiatives that ensure the survival of Black people. In July of 2019, the Sierra Club joined forces with a coalition of environmental justice and national environmental groups to release a just and equitable national climate platform that centers racial, climate and environmental justice to improve the public health and well-being of all communities.
No member of our communities should ever feel threatened by those charged with keeping us safe. When we joined our partners in calling for the immediate defunding of the police, we did it specifically to put an end to terrorism against Black and Brown people by law enforcement. Instead of fulfilling their duty to protect and serve the people, all too often, police throughout the country are hurting, terrorizing, and killing Black people without a second thought due to the anti-Blackness that runs deep throughout the U.S.
Instead of spending time with his three children during this already devastating pandemic, Jacob Blake is fighting for his life in Froedtert Hospital. Mr. Blake’s humanity nor the humanity of his three children, who witnessed the attack from a few feet away, were recognized by the officers. We must join together and demand that these officers are immediately arrested and charged. We also continue to demand that Attorney General Daniel Cameron immediately arrest and criminally charge the three officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her own home on March 13, 2020.
Our work is far from over and we cannot fulfill our mission to ‘enlist humanity’ to protect the planet if we continue to direct resources towards the militarization of police departments. What is clear is that the system is broken and police officers do not serve our collective humanity. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. It is up to us to demand better and invest in resources that actually make all communities safer."
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Many protesters in Kenosha, WI have been arrested demanding justice for Jacob Blake. The Milwaukee Freedom Fund is currently collecting donations to support protesters: https://bit.ly/3aWTnbN
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.