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Imminent
Public Protest Against Police Brutality
From Singtao Daily
September 15, 2002
Although the public at large regards blue-uniformed officers with
respect and trust, it is hard to ignore the issue of police brutality.
Yesterday, a group named the "October 22nd Coalition"
announced its intention to demonstrate on October 22nd, the "National
Day of Protest." It is offering the public an opportunity to
take part in protesting against the continuing tide of police brutality.
Ms. Cheng, a member of the October 22nd Coalition, remarked that
more 2,000 people have died as a result of police brutality since
1990, 36 of whom died after 9/11. This figure is important to her
and the Coalition. In spite of the great courage with which the
citys police department responded to the terrorist attacks
last September, one must not overlook the fact that police brutality
is still a reality.
Cheng added that this violence is characterized by a degree of
racial discrimination. According to their statistics, these cases
disproportionately affect the Black, Latino, Asian, and Middle-Eastern
communities, and given recent media revelations, they represent
just the tip of the iceberg.
The group has just put out a book entitled "The Faces of Stolen
Lives," documenting the lives of those who have died unjustly
at police hands since 1990 with pictures and case summaries, among
whom are two Chinese-Americans.
Yongxin Huang, an honor student from Brooklyn, was killed by police
on July 24, 1995. Kuang Chung Kao, a Taiwanese man from San Francisco,
April 29, 1997, was celebrating a job promotion in a bar when he
became the target of racially-motivated slurs. Drunk and angry,
he was waving a broomstick at his neighbors for help just when police
arrived.
Although Kaos wife removed the broomstick from his grasp,
the officers ordered her to step backwards and fired a shot into
her husbands chest. Kao was still alive, but the police prevented
his wife, a registered nurse, from administering to his wound and,
thus, he lost his life. After the incident, the police department
claimed that Kao still had the broomstick in his hands when he was
shot.
Cheng said that the October 22nd Coalition culled its figures from
various media sources and from reports filed by victims families.
The group maintains websites at http://www.october22.org
and http://www.geocities.com/oct22ny,
where members of the public may seek out relevant information, record
their thoughts, and discuss unfair incidents that they have experienced.
The upcoming demonstration is especially significant because post
9/11, the public has had nothing but praise for the officers. Nevertheless,
people should be concerned about police brutality, which may encroach
upon their personal well-being. The number of individuals affected
by this issue grows and the suffering continues.
The Association hopes that the upcoming demonstration will afford
the public a chance to join the ranks of those opposed to police
brutality and who wish to curb further incidents. The protest is
scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. in Union Square on October 12th.
A gathering will take place at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Preparations
for the event are still underway [therefore the times and locations
are tentative].
Translated From Chinese By Kelvin Wu
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