As Missouri’s governor ordered National Guard reinforcements into the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson following overnight violence ignited by the St. Louis County grand jury’s failure to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, LGBT and civil rights groups today reacted angrily to the decision.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), released the following statement from HRC President Chad Griffin:
“Michael Brown’s family and the American people deserve to have this case fully adjudicated in a public trial. Today’s deeply disappointing decision by the grand jury denies them that opportunity. Until we as a nation make a meaningful commitment to ending police profiling—and to fully prosecuting individual cases of brutality—the kind of violence that ended Michael Brown’s life will only continue. As advocates for equality, it’s our job to show solidarity with a growing national movement to break this cycle of police violence.”
“While we cannot begin to imagine the pain that the Brown family is facing at this moment, we send our thoughts, prayers and condolences to them during this heartbreaking and difficult time. We also stand in solidarity with the family’s encouragement of peaceful protests and reflection following this decision.”
Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California said,
“The thoughts and prayers of California’s LGBT community are with the family of Michael Brown and the community of Ferguson, Missouri, during this difficult time. Yesterday’s grand jury decision has left us angry, sad, frustrated and challenged, but also clear in our conviction that our society must address the systemic bias and prejudice that persist within our criminal justice system. Equality California envisions an America in which all people are treated equally, regardless of race, gender, faith, sexual orientation or gender identity. We join our allies in the civil rights movement in calling for accountability, sensitivity, restraint and justice in American law enforcement.”
The National Youth Council of Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network) released the following statement.
“For young people in this country, today’s grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson sends a grave message. We live in a society where young people struggle every day against systems that push black youth and other youth of color out of school and into the punitive justice system of expulsion, police brutality, prison, and even death. These systems of oppression have ended countless lives, including the life of Michael Brown.
“This verdict sends the message that our lives, bodies and communities are expendable and that we are not worthy of basic compassion and justice.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said,
“The grand jury’s decision does not negate the fact that Michael Brown’s tragic death is part of an alarming national trend of officers using excessive force against people of color, often during routine encounters. Yet in most cases, the officers and police departments are not held accountable. While many officers carry out their jobs with respect for the communities they serve, we must confront the profound disconnect and disrespect that many communities of color experience with their local law enforcement.
“The ACLU will continue to fight for racial justice. We must end the prevailing policing paradigm where police departments are more like occupying forces, imposing their will to control communities. This ‘us vs. them’ policing antagonizes communities by casting a blanket of suspicion over entire neighborhoods, often under the guise of preventing crime.”
