|
Dear John,
Like you, I am deeply troubled by what I see happening in our country right now, and what may happen after the election. The widespread availability of guns in this country, combined with the incitement to violence and the enabling and abetting of white supremacy — at the highest levels of government — has put many people across the country at risk.
No matter what the election outcome is, we need to call on our state and local leaders to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of all people.
That’s why we’re organizing an effort to contact governors and mayors across the country in the lead-up to the election. They are the ones that oversee police departments and decide whether to deploy the National Guard in their communities. Act now to tell your governor and mayor: you must respect the right to peaceful protest, and keep protesters and communities safe from violence and armed intimidation.
We watched in horror as this summer, U.S. law enforcement officers used heavy-duty riot gear and military-grade weapons to police and intimidate protesters at peaceful demonstrations across the country. Amnesty International documented 125 incidents of police violence against protesters across 40 states in less than two weeks.
This all happened while government officials at many levels have committed or condoned human rights violations, leaving the country dangerously vulnerable to those who prefer inequity to fairness, hate over unity, and impunity over justice.
Now, as we approach Election Day, there’s some chance for weeks of uncertainty around the outcome… and the strong potential for more demonstrations. The possibility of massive human rights violations — by law enforcement officers and potentially by armed individuals and private groups — is real.
Amnesty International is prepared to deploy an expert crisis response team to investigate potential human rights violations in the crucial weeks ahead — but we need to call on our state and local leaders to uphold human rights and protect their constituents at all costs.
This is urgent, John: we MUST make sure that police departments across the country put human rights first and do not use excessive force against protesters. We MUST make sure our leaders denounce racism, discrimination, and hate — and take special measures to protect individuals and communities from armed individuals and armed groups.
We MUST do this all by making sure that our governors and mayors are accountable for their important roles. Tell your governor and mayor: take steps to protect the right to peacefully protest, and keep your communities safe from violent and armed intimidation.
Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of freedom. It is a right, not a privilege. But that right is under attack, and in this moment, we must pull out all the stops to defend it.
Sincerely,
|
