BLM Founder: Policing Is Problematic, We Need Police-Free Communities

by Amber Randall

Since policing is a problem, the police should be removed from communities altogether, according to Black Lives Matter founder Alicia Garza.

Garza argued that the United States gives too much respect to police officers, explaining that when police do wrong, a few bad cops are blamed, rather than a “corroded and corrupt system.”

“Quite frankly, many of our [Black Lives Matter] members are continuing to investigate what it would mean to have police-free communities. I think what we’ve continued to see over time is that no moral appeal is actually stopping the deaths of black people, whether they be armed or unarmed.” Garza told Complex.

Garza also claimed that the Charlotte riots are a natural reaction; they occurred because people had been denied housing and good schools.

“How do we stop violence, looting, and riots? The way that we stop that is by making sure that people have the things that they need to thrive,” Garza said. “When people are systematically denied their right to adequate housing, adequate schools, to adequate food, to dignity—this is a response and a reaction that we should absolutely expect.”

Charlotte erupted into riots after a black officer shot Keith Lamont Scott, a black man. Protesters damaged and looted various businesses. (RELATED: Here’s How Charlotte Rioters Expressed Their ‘Frustrations’)

People also should pay attention to the black women killed by police, Garza said.

“This is a perfect moment for us to have each other’s backs, to call out the names of people who have been killed like the brother who was killed in Charlotte and the brother who was killed in Tulsa, but to also remember that this isn’t just a problem impacting black men, but it’s a problem that is impacting black people. For us to advance on this front, we have to bring everyone along with us,” Garza said to Complex.

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