Press Statement:
Saturday, May 30, 2020
CONTACT:
Morgan Keller
Communications Manager, ACLU of Delaware
Email: mkeller@aclu-de.org
ACLU of Delaware Speaks Out on Protests in Wilmington
WILMINGTON: The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware has been monitoring the protests happening in Wilmington today as events have unfolded. Please see the statement below, attributable to Mike Brickner, Executive Director of ACLU of Delaware.
“What started out as a day of peaceful protest and civil disobedience escalated to more extreme measures this evening as the deep-rooted pain from centuries of oppression and systemic racism spill out through the actions of protestors in downtown Wilmington.
We don’t have to agree with what’s happening in the city tonight, but we must understand why it’s happening in order to move forward. Police violence and murder by police are all too common in Black and Brown communities, and Delaware is no exception.
The frustration and anger we see pouring out in our streets is the result of past promises for reform unfulfilled, coupled with the tragic ever-growing list of names of Black and Brown people who have been killed by police. George Floyd and Breona Taylor are simply the two most recent high-profile examples.
In order to move from a place of outrage to a place of healing, we must see real, meaningful accountability for police departments, the legal system, and elected officials—and that’s just the bare minimum. There must be healing, and a fundamental shift in our state’s priorities from policing Black and Brown communities to truly investing in them.
We stand ready, always, to work with lawmakers and stakeholders across the state to create policies that can begin to break down the unchecked systemic racism that’s brought us to this point.”