New York, NY-- The October 22nd Coalition Against Police Brutality is holding its 12th annual National Day of Protest against police brutality, repression, and the criminalization of a generation this Monday in Harlem, New York. Protesters will march from Marcus Garvey Memorial Park to the Harlem State Office Building, and then to historic St. Mary's Episcopal Church for a rally. The march is permitted to march on the street along 125 th Street.

This rally and march, which will be held simultaneously in 20 cities across the United States, will begin at the Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park at 4:00pm at 122th Street & St. Morris Park West in Harlem. The march will follow at approximately 5:00pm, leaving the park from 124th & Fifth Avenue.

The rally will feature speeches from relatives of those who have lost someone at the hands of the police ("Stolen Lives"), activists, and community organizers. Speakers will include parents such as William Bell, father of Sean Bell, Juanita Young, mother of Malcolm Ferguson, Nicholas Heyward Sr., father of Nicholas Jr., Margarita Rosario, mother of Anthony Rosario and aunt of Hilton Vega, and the family of Ronald Battle, who was just killed by police in Harlem last month. Other speakers include Rev. Earl Kooperkamp of St. Mary's Church, people's attorneys Lynne Stewart and Michael Warren, Dawn Jones from the Social Justice Committee of Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Nellie Bailey from the Harlem Tenants Council, Larry Hamm of People's Organization for Progress, and organizers from Peoples Justice, Picture the Homeless, Travis Morales of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and Jericho. Renowned anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and activists from the World Can't Wait/Drive Out the Bush Regime are also scheduled, .

It will also feature performances from spoken word artists such as the Street Smart Movement and the Young Blaq Skolahz, and musical performances by the Raging Grannies, drummer Joyce Jones, and Ngoma.


The coalition began in 1996 as a response to the hundreds of police brutality cases around the country – egregious cases of police brutality and violence where police officers acted brazenly and with impunity; and where even "innocent" victims of police brutality were demonized and criminalized by the criminal justice system. Since then, families, friends, activists and victims have held marches and community events to expose the epidemic of police violence throughout U.S.

While the theme of this year's event is "Homeland Security = More Stolen Lives" and "More Resistance = Fewer Stolen Lives," an important focus this year is raising support for the Jena 6. In a statement released by the Coalition's national executive committee, "This is not a time to slack off in this fight. And it is not a time to lower our demand to calling for a fair trial for the Jena 6. These youth are victims of the unequal criminal justice system in this country – a system that treats Black and Latino youth like they're guilty till proven innocent, if they can survive to prove their innocence. They shouldn't be going on trial at all. Free the Jena 6!"

There are at least 28 people known to have died at the hands of law enforcement in New York and New Jersey since October 22, 2006. The most recent victim was Harlem resident Ronald Battle, who was killed September 28, 2007.

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