It first began in 1997 as an initiative of the Black Flag collective in Switzerland along with the help of COBP (French acronym for Citizens Opposed to Police Brutality) of Montreal. Since its first year, the International Day Against Police Brutality (IDAPB) has been a success. This date was chosen because on March 15th, two children, aged 11 and 12, were beaten by the Swiss police.
This day of denouncing police brutality is also an opportunity to create and strengthen ties between groups that work directly or indirectly against Authorities brutality around the world. It permits the creation of an indispensable international solidarity in the fight against police forces that collaborate world-wide and are extremely well organized. The IDAPB, which concretely represents this solidarity, should not be overlooked as an element in the development and need to denounce police brutality. The day shatters the myth of unanimity about the virtues of the police (positive values promoted especially by TV cop shows and mass media). It also ends the isolation of groups and individuals who, engaged in this struggle, are subjected to daily repression.
The modern State's favoured instrument of repression, the police, is a fairly recent development in history: In the early 1800s, industrialisation is in full swing, people are migrating to the cities, becoming urban workers and swelling the proletarian class. Class conflicts increase when the bourgeoisie (urban ruling class) and industrial property (capital) live in close proximity to workers. With the increasing agitation and organisation of workers, the police are instituted to fight labour and protect industrial property.
Which "crime" shall be punished or not is left to the police's discretion; which laws shall be enforced, where and at what time, and especially who is forced to respect the law, is decided by the police. In effect, the police, the right arm of the Authorities, abuse its power on a daily basis and exercise its violence with near total impunity. The police continuously and everywhere violate the very laws that they are supposed to uphold. The police check identity, spy, double-deal, hustle, repress, ticket, despise, pursue, arrest, imprison, deport, harass and beat up; they inflict indignity, they torture and they kill. Their primary targets are the "undesirables of society," (the dangerous classes): the poor, the homeless, people of colour, immigrants and persons with irregular status ("illegal immigrants" and people who work under-the-table), sex workers, activists, the marginalised, student activists, organised workers, queer, gender-based and feminist activists and people who question and don't accept the legitimacy of the authorities.
In response to the widening gap between rich and poor, the deepening of poverty and the general deterioration of living conditions, governments invest in police forces to do what it takes to maintain order and social peace.
For example, there is the deplorable tendency during demonstrations of resorting to so-called less-than-lethal weaponry (tested in hardened regional conflicts like Northern Ireland, Palestine, Indonesia, etc.). In opposition to the State's drift towards fascism, we have the responsibility to act and support all victims of Police force.
4 comments:
I am very much against police brutality and in fact any kinda of brutality should not be tolerated. A criminal does not feel for his victims neither does he think twice before inflicting injury or pain on his victim. The criminal should not be portrayed as a hero no matter what the circumstances surrounding his death. If there is any suspicion of foul play or police brutality, then the parties involved should be investigated accordingly. Politicizing the latest incident will only cause racial unrest amongst the uneducated population of this country. Will tourist visit a country where criminals are heroes who are given a grand funeral and the law enforcers are portrayed as demons? I will certainly steer clear of any country where i do not have protection especially from those who are supposed to up hold the law.
Thanks for the info about the FAS Dean of AIMST. You should also publish about their Registrar. He got a degree from Pakistani University and Master from unknown university in Australia. He is the most wasted ( gaji buta)staff there. He knows nothing. We hear that he spend most of his time with female students only in his room. Aimst is wasting people's money by paying him.
Can you go to www.aimst.edu.my you can get the registrar's name there. We don't know why the first place he is offered the registar post. He don't have PHD but given the title Professor. What went wrong. Look like the Board of Directors do not know how to appoint a Registrar. Furthermore he think the university belongs to him. He don't respect any of the staff in AIMST. Most of the time spending with young female students in his room. Can you please publish this and let the Malysian people know what type of registar is at AIMST.
Thanks for the info about the FAS Dean of AIMST. You should also publish about their Registrar. He got a degree from Pakistani University and Master from unknown university in Australia. He is the most wasted ( gaji buta)staff there. He knows nothing. We hear that he spend most of his time with female students only in his room. Aimst is wasting people's money by paying him.
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