Media Release on Protesting against Using Peter Liang as a Scapegoat
DC 2-20 Event Organizing Committee 02/18 5723For Immediate Media Release
Police Officer Peter Liang's guilty verdict last week in New York is clearly the latest case of making an ethnic minority American a scapegoat to satisfy the political thirst of a few and to pay for the police brutality that has troubled the American society for a long time, starting with wrongful and selective prosecution based on race.
On February 20, nationwide and in all major cities, tens of thousands of Chinese Americans will be on the streets to protest the unjust verdict and to express sympathies for the victims. They are extremely angry about the verdict's outcome and the fact that the cowardly and incapable politicians and the NYPD purposely bark up the wrong tree to avoid solving the nation's problems. While in many of the recent police brutality cases where white police officers were involved but none of them were prosecuted, indicting Officer Liang in an accidental shooting in the line of duty is structural racism in action.
Mr. Akai Gurley's accidental and unfortunate death is a heart wrenching tragedy. Each and every one in the Chinese American Community is deeply saddened. However, it did not involve a crime. And it was the direct result of the incompetency of the NYPD which has failed its officers and the people of New York. The prosecution of Officer Liang is a perfect example of scapegoating ethnic minorities at its worst. We ask the government and responsible politicians not to avoid the true problems that our nation is facing.
As a part of the nation-wide efforts, in the Washington DC area alone, there will be thousands of Chinese Americans protesting the unjust verdict and expressing sympathies for the victims on February 20th. We invite you to join us and talk to us.
Morning 9:30 - 12:00, Saturday Feb 20, 2016
North side of the Washington Monument
Organizing Committee
Demonstration to Support Officer Peter Liang
Contact
Shuigen Xiao 240-432-2912
Samuel Yan 703-470-3292