News Release:
Monday, June 1, 2020
SEATTLE – Please attribute the following statement to Michele Storms, Executive Director of the ACLU of Washington:
“The curfew orders issued by multiple Washington cities risk chilling the free speech of communities and individuals who are calling for a change to Washington’s and this country’s history of biased policing and disparate use of force against Black people. They open the door to selective enforcement, potentially magnifying the very harms that protestors and communities have been demanding be addressed for decades.
We call on mayors across the state to use the least restrictive means possible to protect public safety and address specific violations of law rather than restricting an entire city’s freedom of movement. Cities must also protect protestors’ rights, promptly address any police misconduct against protestors, and take meaningful action on the longstanding concerns of Black and Brown communities regarding police accountability, biased policing and disparate use of force.”
“The curfew orders issued by multiple Washington cities risk chilling the free speech of communities and individuals who are calling for a change to Washington’s and this country’s history of biased policing and disparate use of force against Black people. They open the door to selective enforcement, potentially magnifying the very harms that protestors and communities have been demanding be addressed for decades.
We call on mayors across the state to use the least restrictive means possible to protect public safety and address specific violations of law rather than restricting an entire city’s freedom of movement. Cities must also protect protestors’ rights, promptly address any police misconduct against protestors, and take meaningful action on the longstanding concerns of Black and Brown communities regarding police accountability, biased policing and disparate use of force.”
