Dear Council Members,
Like so many Seattle residents, I was appalled and disgusted by George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, and I have been further appalled and disgusted by the Seattle Police Department’s treatment of those protesting for racial justice in the days since. The SPD has repeatedly responded to peaceful protests with violence, escalating and attacking without provocation, using chemical weapons that would be banned in warfare against unarmed and peaceful Seattleites — and then attempting to cover up, deny, and evade responsibility for their conduct. And why has the SPD done this? Because citizens have dared to hold them and other police departments across the country accountable for their ongoing and deeply ingrained racism, brutality, and callous disregard for Black lives and humanity.
As a white person, I was brought up to believe the police were there to help — and that they were obviously necessary to “fight crime” and keep our cities safe. Immigrants