LA protest demands justice for Corey Ruiz

Los Angeles, CA – On July 30, Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee held an emergency rally to demand justice for Corey Ruiz, a 34-year-old African American man who was killed by the police on July 22 in Madison, Wisconsin. Over a dozen community members gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.

The protest in Los Angeles was a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression week of action to demand justice for Corey Ruiz. The rally-goers held signs that uplifted the demands coming out of Madison, including “Jail killers cops” and “Community Control of police.” They also held posters with Corey Ruiz’s face on them.

Derek Mejia, the Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee co-chair, was the emcee. He started the program with, “We are here answering the national call put out by the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Verita Topete, Centro CSO’s Immigration co-chair, also spoke at the rally, saying, “Justice for Corey Ruiz means more than words. It means a full, independent investigation. It means accountability for every officer involved. It means no more cover-ups. And it means putting power back into the hands of the people through community control of the police.”

Sammy Carrea, a Teamster and FRSO member said, “How many more lives need to be ripped away from their loved ones? How many more police killings before we organize for justice, before we organize to jail all killer cops, before we demand community control over the pigs, before we fight for Chicano self-determination, before we fight for self-determination for the Black Belt South? Justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Baba Akili from BLM LA Grassroots was the final speaker, “Too often what happens is the police kill us and we may not even see a blurb in the news and we just move on as if that’s how it is in the world today. That is not how it is! What happened in Madison is a continuation of the war on Black people. What’s happening with ICE is a continuation of the war on Latinos and immigrants.”

After the program, folks gather on the corner of First street and Vicente Fernandez Avenue, where Derek Mejia led the crowd in chants like “Justice for Corey Ruiz” and “When killer cops are on patrol

what do we want?” as the crowd yelled back “Community control!”

Luis Sifuentes, a longtime Centro CSO member said, “We’re here today to protest the killing of Corey Ruiz. This is another example of the police violence our communities continue to face in this country, especially Black communities. We’re standing in solidarity because what’s happening there is connected to what’s happening here in Los Angeles. Our struggles are connected, and that’s why we’re calling on people to come together, stand with one another, and demand justice.”

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