Drop the Charges against Troy Gaston for Protesting Police Murder
State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Troy Gaston is a student at Roosevelt University who was targeted by Chicago police at a peaceful protest on May 28, 2020, demanding justice for George Floyd, whose murder by Minneapolis police has sparked protests around the country. Troy lives in Englewood on Chicago's Southside where the protest, called by the Revolution Club Chicago, was held. He was dragged on the ground, thrown in a police van, and was held for more than 24 hours, ultimately charged with several felonies. Videos posted to Twitter showed his arrest:
https://twitter.com/comradejj/status/1266143979768340485?s=20
https://twitter.com/comradejj/status/1266172255182225410?s=20
Mayor Lightfoot called out President Trump for threatening violence against protesters and claimed we can exercise our First Amendment rights in Chicago. That’s not possible when the Chicago police attack peaceful protesters, hold them in jail and lodge charges against them! Troy was the first victim of a wave of repression that has swept across the city and the country as people demand an end to racist police murder.
Troy is a man who has been through a lot in his life. He was profiled by his student newspaper as “personifying” Roosevelt University’s social justice mission and intends to enroll in law school after graduation. He deserves our appreciation and support for standing up for justice at this moment of crisis for our society. Please tell Kim Foxx, Cook County State's Attorney: Drop the charges against Troy Gaston. And Mayor Lightfoot: Ensure Chicago police respect ALL Chicagoans' rights - end the repression now.
If your group would like to endorse this petition, please email us at chicago@refusefascism.org. We welcome your support!
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To:
State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot
From:
[Your Name]
Troy Gaston, a Roosevelt University student currently facing charges of felony battery to a police officer and resisting arrest, did nothing wrong. In fact, he did the right thing and stood up for justice for George Floyd and an end to police murder endangering Black people everywhere.
We demand all charges against Troy be dropped.
He must not be targeted and criminalized for the fact that he was at a non-violent protest exercising his right to free speech. Mayor Lightfoot, you called out President Trump for threatening violence against protesters and claimed we can exercise our First Amendment rights in Chicago. We demand that you ensure Chicago police stop attacking peaceful protests. State’s Attorney Foxx, you stated “the last few weeks have served as painful reminders of the system racism that Black people have been subject to for generations.” That racism is at play right now as one of the people working to undo that racism faces a very serious charge. Do the right thing and drop the charges against Troy Gaston and other people arrested protesting the racist police murder of George Floyd.