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On Oct. 3 a #CaravanForJustice featuring survivors of law enforcement violence and grassroots organizers embarked on a eight-day traveling tour throughout California to mobilize communities of color against police brutality.

Led by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, in partnership with the ACLU of California, the caravan, which ends Oct. 10, will train community members on how to respond to law enforcement violence, and spread awareness about the Mobile Justice CA app in communities impacted by police violence. To spark a global conversation about police violence, family members of those killed by police in the United Kingdom will travel on the #CaravanForJustice as well.

“There is a war on black and brown people in this country right now, and we are in a state of emergency,” said Patrisse Cullors, Truth and Reinvestment Campaign Director at the Ella Baker Center. “And in much the same way that we have emergency preparedness trainings for natural disasters, we need to train low-income communities of color on how to respond to incidents of violence on the streets and inside the jails.”

At each stop, the caravan will:

  • Educate community members about how to use the Mobile Justice CA app
  • Gain support for the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 (AB 953)
  • Highlight the presence of regional Justice Teams for Truth and Reinvestment
  • Engage people in a global conversation about police violence

The caravan will launch Justice Teams in nine counties throughout the state, which will serve as local rapid response networks to help community members respond when law enforcement violence occurs. Justice Teams will include lawyers to support families who have had encounters with law enforcement, healing justice practitioners, and will provide toolkits to train community members as rapid responders.

Justice Teams will also advance a Truth and Reinvestment agenda—demanding that funds for policing and jails be redirected towards healthcare, employment, and other services for communities of color most harmed by decades of criminalization, incarceration, and systemic oppression.

The #CaravanForJustice kicked off in Oakland on Oct. 3, followed by stops in Sacramento, Stockton, Salinas, Fresno, Riverside, Orange County, San Diego, and an ending in Los Angeles at Politicon. Stops will include panels featuring organizers and community members who are directly impacted by police violence, as well as marches, rallies, town halls, and teach ins.

At every stop, the caravan will host an educational segment on the Mobile Justice CA app, a tool that community members can use to record law enforcement abuses.

“The concerns over police practices, including racial profiling and excessive use of force, are very real for communities across the state,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of ACLU SoCal. “This app will help serve as a check on abuse – whether by police officers, sheriff’s deputies, border patrol, or other officials – allowing ordinary citizens to record and document any interaction with law enforcement.”

#CaravanForJustice Stops:

  • Oakland – October 3rd
  • Sacramento – October 4th
  • Stockton – October 5th
  • Salinas – October 5th
  • Fresno – October 6th
  • Riverside – October 7th
  • Orange County – October 8th
  • San Diego – October 9th
  • Los Angeles – October 10th

Stay tuned for the latest from the tour at NewsOne.com and check out our interactive map on the #CaravanForJustice homepage to see where the group is headed next.

Caravan for Justice to Mobilize Communities Throughout California Against Police Violence  was originally published on newsone.com