Rally On The Common Saturday In Solidarity With The Amherst 9
Vigil protesting the killing of George Floyd. Amherst Common, May 31, 2020. Photo: Art Keene
Source: Defund 413
Defund413Amherst, Sunrise Amherst and Progressive Coalition of Amherst (PCA) are organizing a rally on the Town Common on Saturday October 29, to show support for the Amherst 9 following the July 5 incident between a group of primarily BIPOC youth and the Amherst Police Department. The youth were improperly told they had no rights during the interaction. The town has yet to provide a meaningful response to the incident.
Rally On The Common
There will be a rally on the Amherst Town Common across from Town Hall at Noon on Saturday, October 29. The rally will inform residents about the July incident and provide concrete steps to take to advocate for police accountability, to demand an apology to the impacted youth, and to demand creation of a victim’s compensation fund to provide reparative compensation for victims of police misconduct. The rally will raise awareness of the joint Town Council and Community Safety and Social Justice Committee-CSSJC meeting, scheduled for Tuesday November 1. The rally will conclude at 3 p.m.
Student Walkout At ARHS Cancelled
The student walkout at Amherst Regional High School, previous scheduled for Tuesday Novermber 1 has been cancelled.
The Organizers
Defund413Amherst is an abolitionist collective working to defund the Amherst police department and reinvest money into community wellbeing, and community-led public safety services.
Sunrise Amherst is a local chapter of a national, youth-led, intersectional movement to pass the Green New Deal and achieve climate and racial justice.
Progressive Coalition of Amherst is a political action committee which envisions a town whose elected and appointed bodies prioritize policies and programs that support the whole community, including people from marginalized groups.