Statement to the NPDUM Emergency Conference to Stop Police Brutality (1997)

Editor's Note: The following STATEMENT TO THE EMERGENCY CONFERENCE TO STOP POLICE BRUTALITY was read on behalf of Carl Dix to the plenary session, July 4, 1997.

First off, I want to give props to the people of St. Petersburg for heroically rising up in the face of the cowardly murder of TyRon Lewis by one of this city's swinest, and in the face of the green light given to this foul murder by the local authorities. I also want to give props to the African Peoples Socialist Party and the National Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement for standing firmly with the masses against the oppressors and their enforcers, and for their role in calling this important conference. I can't be with you today because I'm in Philadelphia, speaking in the annual rally to Stop the Execution of Mumia Abu Jamal and Free him from prison. But my spirit is in the house with you.
As a member of the National Coordinating Committee of the Oct 22nd National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation, I'm very clear that we face a nationwide epidemic of police brutality. To take this on we need mass resistance and broad unity. That's why we welcome this conference. At the same time, as a revolutionary communist, I know that this
capitalist system will never work in the interests of the great majority of people in this country around the world. It can only give us brutality, degradation and misery until we get rid of it in the only way really possible, thru armed revolution.
The battles we wage today in resistance to the enemy's attacks are very crucial in this light. One because peoples' lives are on the line. The capitalists aim to do nothing less than beat us so far down that we could never get ourselves together and rise up and do them any serious damage. Equally important,it is thru waging the battles of today that we get ourselves and the masses ready and in position for revolution when the time comes. This is how we build the understanding, the unity and the organization that we'll need to rise up in revolution to overthrow this blood sucking set up and go on to build a whole
new world on the ashes of this fucked up one.
We know that there are many different ideas on revolution in this room. But we share a common enemy, and we're confident that when the deal goes down, we'll be on the same side of the barricades taking on that common enemy. To get there, we have to get busy now, forging that unity thru the course of taking on the system's attacks together. The fight against police terror is one of the most important
attacks we have take on. In its work, the Oct 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality has worked to bring forward those who are forced to live their lives under the guns and clubs of brutal murdering cops to stand up and resist, while also rallying to their side those from all different backgrounds who share a basic sense
of justice. We think this approach was key to pulling off last year's Oct 22nd National Day of Protest which was marked in 45 cities across the country. I want to give props to all those here who were a part of pulling this important day off--The Florida Indian Alliance, the December 12th Movement, some NPDUM members and chapters, the New Afrikan Peoples Organization and others.
The draft document produced for this conference also contains some very good ideas for building the struggle against police brutality. We look forward to us all working together, on the upcoming 2nd National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, on the proposed National Moratorium Against Police Brutality and in other ways.
Our oppressors have a very clear program--it comes down to escalating misery and brutality for the people, and they are carrying it out with determination. We must be no less determined in uniting and building the kind of resistance that can meet their shit head on and beat it back. And we must do that as part of getting ready and in position for what we really need to end these attacks once and for all--all the way liberating proletarian revolution.

STOP POLICE BRUTALITY, REPRESSION AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION!
IT'S RIGHT TO REBEL!
FORWARD FROM REBELLION TO REVOLUTION!