Hello Chief and APD Leadership, I just wanted to jot a quick thank you note for those who participated in this meeting with the Latino community about ICE in our neighborhoods. Sadly, this problem is not going away anytime soon. Historically, the police have been on the wrong side of history during the civil rights movement and the labor movement - defending capital. The pivotal points in American history are when police realized that their solidarity should be with labor; not capital. Labor vs. police: Learning from working-class history Workers World In this current struggle, I believe that we are 2-3 years away from a moment where we see the shift in solidarity. I would like to see Aurora lead, and show something different. It will create discomfort during the transformation. I noticed during the march towards Blue Kangaroo, when the police escort disappeared, that activists I didn't know used their vehicles to block the intersections and protect the marchers.
All living things have the capacity to evolve and grow. Government is about to go through a huge evolutionary period and shed that which is not necessary, and re-focus on what is important. As government continues to disintegrate from the top down, we have an opportunity to re-invent the ways we find food, water, shelter and protection. We would like the Aurora Police Department to play a historic role in defending the United States of America, and our city against fascism. We have a unique opportunity to do something different, leave our mark in the history books, and make a difference. I'm excited about the opportunity and look forward to discussing it further. Respectfully, John Laesch Mayor, City of Aurora laesch@aurora.il.us
I haven't seen people here mention this letter from the mayor of Illinois' 2nd-largest city (Aurora, 40+% Latino)
to the Aurora Police
following egregious attacks by immigration in Aurora and related protests
So here it is!
