More than one hundred men and women of color were tortured by Chicago police commander Jon Burge between 1972 and 1991 – and they are still calling for justice.
As Amnesty International’s Stop Torture Campaign gains momentum across the globe, their stories make it clear that, as U.S. based activists, our work must begin in our own backyard. Decades of brutality tore apart Chicago torture survivors’ families and communities and they have been denied the reparations needed to make them whole.
Join Amnesty now as we urge the Chicago City Council to ensure reparations for survivors by passing the Reparations Ordinance for the Chicago Police Torture Survivors.
Torture happens here – so the fight to #StopTorture has to start here. Here are 6 ways you can join us in that fight:
Take Action!
1. Sign the petition. Your signatures will be delivered in Chicago as the ordinance gains momentum.
2. You can also take action on behalf of survivors from Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Uzbekistan and other U.S. cases, including Albert Woodfox and Guantanamo detainees, at http://www.amnestyusa.org/stoptorture.
An activist at an Amnesty rally in Chicago calling on the City Council to pass the Reparations Ordinance for the Chicago Police Torture Survivors (Photo Credit: Amnesty International).
Mobilize!
3. Join one of the June 26 events across the country.
Stand in Solidarity!
4. Can’t make to an event on June 26? You can still make your voice heard. Take part in our photo solidarity campaign by submitting an image.
Get creative – cover your eyes with a blindfold, make a sign that says #StopTorture or #ReparationsNow, or hold up the names of Chicago Police torture survivors. We will use the images to show Chicago City Council Members that no one will turn a blind eye to torture.
Amplify!
5. Share blogs by torture survivor Darrell Cannon and Stop Torture activist Federico Boratto.
6. Tweet the action and tumblr. Suggested tweets:
- Don’t turn a blind eye to torture @ChiCouncil! http://torturehappenshere.tumblr.com #StopTorture #ReparationsNow
- Anthony Holmes is proof that torture happens here. I stand with him in demanding justice! #reparationsnow amnestyusa.org/chicagotorture http://ow.ly/i/60k4j
- #Chicago police used electric shocks and suffocation to torture Anthony Holmes. Demand justice! http://amnestyusa.org/chicagotorture #StopTorture
One-third of Americans polled in our Global Survey on Torture said they would not feel safe from torture if they were taken into custody in the United States. When you hear the stories of Chicago police torture survivors, it’s easy to understand why.
Join us, and help create a future where no one will live in fear.
i like it
I'm happy this issue is still discussed. But we have to make some direct actions to avoid it now and in the future. I tried to show all the main problems at https://sites.google.com/site/cheapessayforme/edu… So if you are interested in my opinion, just take a look!