>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
>> EARLIER THIS WEEK, MARISA
WOJCIK SAT DOWN WITH THE FOUNDER
OF URBAN TRIAGE AND MADISON
ORGANIZER BRANDI GRAYSON TO HEAR
WHAT THEIR DEMANDS ARE.
>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE FOR US WHAT
THIS PAST WEEK OF PROTESTS AT
THE STATE CAPITOL HAS LOOKED
LIKE AND SOUNDED LIKE TO YOU?
>> THE PROTESTS HAVE BEEN VERY
POWERFUL IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S
CROSS-GENERATIONAL, CROSS RACES,
CROSS IDEOLOGY, RIGHT?
IT'S JUST A MIXTURE OF
BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT PEOPLE WHO
ARE REALLY FED UP WITH THE
SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION, WHITE
SUPREMACY AND THE KILLING OF
BLACK BODIES WITHOUT JUSTICE.
AND I THINK WHEN GEORGE FLOYD
WAS MURDERED ON CAMERA FOLLOWING
THE DEATH OF A MAN WHO WAS
CHASED DOWN BY KKK SUE SUE SUPREMACISTS,
IT WAS JUST ENOUGH.
WITH COVID-19 AND PEOPLE JUST
BEING TIRED OF BEING JUST
OPPRESSED AND HAVING THEIR
RIGHTS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM
THEM, SO WHAT I'VE SEEN ON THE
GROUND, IT WAS REALLY A FEELING
OF COMMUNITY AND THE SENSE THAT
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND THAT
WE WILL BE THE ONES THAT SAVE US
AND PROTECT US AND WE MUST KEEP
GOING UNTIL OUR VOICES ARE HEARD
AND REAL ACTION IS TAKEN.
AND FOR US IN MADISON,
WISCONSIN, REAL ACTION LOOKS
LIKE DEFUNDING OUR JAILS, OUR
POLICE DEPARTMENTS, INVESTING IN
PEOPLE, INVESTING IN OUR
CHILDREN, INVESTING IN YOUTH.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER DEMANDS IS
FIRING MATT KEENNY, A POLICE
OFFICER WITH MADISON WHO
MURDERED TONY ROBINSON IN 2015,
SHOT HIM SEVEN TIMES.
SO WE ARE ASKING THAT THERE BE
REAL ACTIONS TAKEN AS IT RELATES
TO THE VIOLENCE INFLICTED ON
HUMAN BODIES.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN WITNESSING
IS COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE ALSO DEMANDING IS
COMMUNITY CONTROL OVER POLICE.
WE NEED COMMUNITY REVIEW BOARDS
TO HAVE THE SAME POWER AS THE
POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION.
AND THAT POWER CAN BE GRANTED TO
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH OUR
CITY COUNCIL AND THROUGH THE
POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION.
AND ANOTHER ONE OF OUR DEMANDS
IS FREE THEM ALL.
IT MEANS ALL BLACK PEOPLE LOCKED
UP IN DANE COUNTY JAIL.
AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND
POWER SPECIFICALLY FALLS ON OUR
DANE COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOEL
PARISI AND OUR SHERIFF.
SO THEY HAVE THE POWER TO LET
PEOPLE OUT.
AND WHAT WE KNOW IS WHAT
COVID-19 HIT, THEY DID LET
PEOPLE OUT.
SO WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN IF THEY
REALLY ARE INTERESTED IN JUSTICE
AND A FAIR SYSTEM.
>> AND I DID WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT YOUR DEMANDS.
YOUR ORGANIZATION, ALONG WITH
FREEDOM, INC. AND THE PARTY FOR
SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION HAVE
MADE THIS LIST OF DEMANDS.
ARE THESE DEMANDS IN LINE
GENERALLY WITH WHAT OTHERS ARE
CALLING FOR ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
>> YES.
IT'S IN LINE WITH THE BLACK
MOVEMENT, MOVEMENT FOR BLACK
LIVES, OF DEFUNDING THE POLICE,
REPARATIONS FOR BLACK PEOPLE AND
REALLY BUILDING RESOURCES FOR
THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT
WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE
WE ARE UPLIFTING BLACK PEOPLE
AND WE'RE SUPPORTING BLACK
PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITY,
RESOURCES AND JUSTICE, THEN
EVERYONE IS LIBERATED.
>> WHERE DO YOU SEE THINGS
GOING?
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE THE OUTCOME
OF THESE PROTESTS WILL BE?
OR DO YOU FORESEE YOURSELF
PROTESTING EVERY DAY FOR WEEKS
AND MONTHS TO COME?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HARD
QUESTION.
THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO THOSE IN
POWER.
IT'S TOTALLY UP TO OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, OUR LOCAL POLICE
DEPARTMENT, OUR LOCAL MAYOR, OUR
LOCAL DANE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, OUR
SEVER.
OUR
SHERIFF.
IF FOLKS WANT THIS TO END, THIS
HAVE TO BE CHANGES.
I DON'T SEE IT STOPPING UNTIL
ACTUAL STEPS HAPPEN.
THIS IS HISTORIC AL.
THERE IS A REVOLUTION HAPPENING
ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
I DON'T SEE IT ENDING.
I SEE IT INCREASING NND UNTIL
ACTIONABLE STEPS ARE TAKEN TO
END THE ENDING OF LIVES OF BLACK
BODIES.
THEY HAVE TO POWER TO END THIS
AT ANY MOMENT.
THE QUESTION IS WHEN THE
PROTESTERS ARE GOING TO STOP.
IT'S WHEN ARE THOSE IN CHARGE
AND IN POWER GOING TO START
DOING THINGS TO PROTECT BLACK
BODIES?
>> ALL RIGHT.