NYC March Marks One-Year Anniversary of Killing of Trayvon Martin and Ramarley Graham

This Saturday, the February 23rd Coalition-made up of Black, immigrant, women's, LGBT, student and other organizations-will join together for a Unity March to Stop the Cops.

The march will be led by family members of victims of police brutality and marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of Ramarley Graham in the Bronx, and Trayvon Martin in Florida.

There is a growing popular and legal challenge to the NYPD's Stop-and-Frisk program, and Saturday's march will call for it to be completely dismantled. The flyer for the march reads, "Stop and Frisk won't stop crime-it is the crime."

In just the last year, a long list of unarmed young Black and Latino people have been killed by the police in New York City. Graham, 18, was in his own home. Shantel Davis, 23, was shot and killed in her car in Brooklyn. Noel Polanco, the 22-year-old National Guardsman, was shot by an officer during a traffic stop on the Grand Central Parkway. Reynaldo Cuevas, 20, was shot and killed by the police as he fled a burglary in the bodega where he worked.

In only one of these instances have the officers been indicted - Graham's killer, Richard Haste, has been charged with manslaughter - and in each case, the families are still waiting for justice.

Kerbie Joseph, an organizer of the march, explained: "Stop-and-Frisk is just the tip of the iceberg. The incidents of police brutality and murder have reached epidemic proportions in New York and across the country."

Linking these cases with the well-publicized killing of teenager Trayvon Martin last February, Joseph commented, "The only difference with Martin was that his killer was not wearing a uniform. But all too often officers display the same 'shoot first, ask questions later' attitude and the same disregard for the lives of young Black and Latino men in particular."

A broad coalition of community-based organizations and activists have endorsed the demonstration, and will be taking part. Several individuals who have personally experienced police brutality, such as Jabbar Campbell, are scheduled to speak.

Opening Rally at 1pm in the Bronx at 138th St and Lincoln Ave. To Be Followed by March to Harlem.