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Cop Block

Police Accountability Tour Stops

Scroll down to see information related to each stop – meetup locations, content created, etc.

For an overview of the tour, updates, and sponsors, see: http://CopBlock.org/Tour police-accountability-tour-rectangular

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Tour Stops

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-austin-bridgeAUSTIN, TEXAS

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Date: August 15-20, 2013
Metro Population: 1,834,000
Crash Space: thanks Blush Family Farm, the Ward’s and Leverett’s!
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

  • Cop Watch – El Paso, TX – Facebook
  • Dallas Cop Block –Facebook / YouTube / dallascopblock@gmail.com
  • Houston Free Thinkers – Facebook
  • Peaceful Streets Project – Austin – website / Facebook / peacefulstreets@gmail.com
  • Peaceful Streets Project – Houston – Facebook\
  • Texas Cop Block – Facebook / texascopblock@gmail.com
  • White Settlement Cop Block – Facebook

Police Accountability Tour Content from Austin:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-newyorkcity-skyline-nightNEW YORK, NEW YORK

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Date: August 21-25, 2013
Metro Population: 18,900,000
Crash Space: thanks JB!
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

Police Accountability Tour Content from New York:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-capetown-skyline-overheadCAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

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Date: August 26-October 10, 2013
Metro Population: 3,740,000
Crash Space: thanks SH!
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

  • Citizens against Police Brutality in the greater Cape Town CBD – Facebook
  • Johannesburg Cop Watch – Facebook

Police Accountability Tour Content from Cape Town:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-oakland-skyline-bayOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

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Date: October 11-19, 2013
Metro Population: 4,340,000
Crash Space: thanks Jacob & housemates!
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

Our fourth stop will take is to Oakland, CA, birthplace of the Black Panther Party, a group that in the height of the Vietnam war, was designated by FBI as the biggest national security threat. We will be interviewing elder panthers about their armed police patrols, as well as their thoughts on the current conditions with Oakland police employees.

We will be interviewing Berkeley Copwatch, the first copwatch group which formed in March of 1990, and had been conducting proactive police patrols since, helping pave the way for copwatch like groups across the country and world.

We will be interviewing the Black Riderz Party who in the spirit of the BPP are conducting police patrols on Oakland with the intention of diffusing situations, but also intervening when they witness police abuse.

Oakland has been the battleground for police accountability in recent years. The videotaped murder of Oscar Grant in 2009 by Johannes Mehserle, an employee of the Bay Area Rapid Transit police set of a series of rebellions that would put police abuse in national dialogue, and would embolden people of all demographics to videotape the police when they stopped members of the public.

On Saturday, Oct. 12th we’ll have a meetup and patrol in the Mission area of San Francisco. If you’re around you should come on out! There will be a good crew present, lots of good information and ideas shared throughout the night, and almost certainly there will emerge some solid connections and working relationships.

On Saturday, Oct. 19th two short documentaries will be screened at New Parkway Theater – Manufacturing Guilt: A Short Film on the Innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal
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 The Battle for Oscar Grant Plaza: OPD’s War Against Occupy Oakland Battle for Oscar Grant Plaza: OPD’s War Against Occupy Oakland. The latter was produced by Jacob Crawford from collaboration with the National Lawyers Guild and will highlight the heavy-handed tactics used by some police employees during the Oscar Grant Movement as well as Occupy Oakland and demonstrate how copwatchers can take their knowledge and experience to the next level when they coordinate with legal experts around incidents of abuse.

Content tagged “Oakland” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from Oakland:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-denver-skyline-skyDENVER, COLORADO

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Date: October 20-26, 2013
Metro Population: 2,650,000
Crash Space: covered
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

Denver is the fifth stop of the Police Accountability Tour. The plan is to have an informal get-together on Monday, Oct 21st for two main reasons. First, and most-important, to facilitate connections among those from Denver and outlying areas, some of whom may have already communicated but not yet met in person, and some who will connect with the other great folks present for the first time. Hopefully lots of future collaboration will result. Second, to learn more about the situation on the ground in Denver and to hear about leads, events and hotspots that could possibly be pursued over the week.

Such leads could include focusing on a specific incident (someone wronged by a police employee or who had their property raided by police employees or who lost a family member to a police employee actions, etc.), or could highlight steps people are taking to safeguard themselves or others from police aggression (via technology, community, creation of alternative institutions, etc.), or a multitude of other related ways. Time too, may be spent brainstorming with others to implement and achieve a desired goal.

Ample time throughout the week will be spent out on the streets Copblocking and doing outreach at areas known for having a heavy police presence. If you’re interested in joining those endeavors please join the Monday meetup.

Later in the week – on Thursday, Oct 24th – our friend is spearheading a sit-down dinner at the same 3 Margaritas location. If you’re interested in attending please get in touch via policeaccountabilitytour2013@yahoo.com or 720.442.6028

Jacob included content he captured in Denver in his 2003 documentary These Streets Are Watching. Pete passed through when on the road with Motorhome Diaries in 2009 and Liberty On Tour in 2010. Both have continued to cultivate relationships from afar, and believe that this stop has a lot of potential.

Content tagged “Denver” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from Denver:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-detroit-skyline-neighborhood-DETROIT, MICHIGAN

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Date: October 27-Nov 01, 2013
Metro Population: 3,750,000
Crash Space: Thanks K&LH & SRH!
Logistic Needs: covered
Activities:

Known Area Groups:

Our sixth stop is Detroit, Michigan, which for many, serves for many as a harbinger of what is likely to unfold in other cities and towns across the states. The massive misallocation of resources and hindrances to peaceful interactions has led to an economic deterioration. Cuts to government “services” mean the number of police personnel has been cut 40% in the last decade, many police facilities are closed 16hrs a day, and the Detroit Police Officers Association was telling folks to “enter Detroit at your own risk.” But that has left much room for entrepreneurs to step-up and communities to unite.

Pete has been itching to return to Detroit after his last visit there in early 2013, where he captured the video Dale Brown of Detroit-based Threat Management Center is On-Point. That, and other bottom-up solutions will provide much to learn from and share.

We will hit the streets with area Copblockers and Copwatchers, who, in the past, have expressed trepidation to do so due to the heavy-handed tactics employed by some Detroit police personnel. There is strength in numbers, especially when coupled with the lens of multiple cameras.

Content tagged “Detroit” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from Detroit:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-chicago-skyline-downtownCHICAGO, ILLINOIS

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Date: November 02-10, 2013
Metro Population: 9,730,000
Crash Space: Thanks D&AW &EB!
Logistic Needs: good on-the-ground contacts
Known Area Groups:

Chicago – called the “Windy City” due to the volume of bs peddled by politicians – is the seventh stop of the Police Accountability Tour. There’s obviously not a lack of stories that can be followed-up on.

The town last summer served as one of the latest scene of the security theater during the NATO Summit. The thousands of paramilitary-clad individuals not only wasted resources but were in fact the very opposite of what’s needed for a real safe community.

Another reason Chicago – or really any place in Illinois was chosen – was to make clear that inhabitants have the right to film the police. Not too long ago a man named Michael Allison was threatened with 75-years in a cage for recording public officials. An appeals court eventually sided with Allison, and the united states supreme court recently refused to grant cert (thus agreeing with the lower courts ruling). Still, many in Illinois are hesitant to film the police, so we will coordinate a know-your-rights event and get as many people as possible to record – something that is critical if accountability is to be had.

Content tagged “Chicago” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from Chicago:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-atlanta-night-highwayATLANTA, GEORGIA

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Date: November 11-17, 2013
Metro Population: 5,460,000
Crash Space: covered
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

Atlanta – called by some the “capital of the south” – is the eight stop of the Police Accountability Tour.

Content tagged “Atlanta” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from Atlanta:

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copblock-policeaccountabilitytour-stop-neworleans-skylineNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

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Date: November 18-24, 2013
Metro Population: 1,170,000
Crash Space: Thanks MF!
Logistic Needs: covered
Known Area Groups:

New Orleans is the ninth and final stop of the Police Accountability Tour.

Content tagged “New Orleans” at CopBlock.org

Police Accountability Tour Content from New Orleans: