With the Stop Urban Shield coalition, we put an end to Urban Shield! In response to community demand, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to end the highly militarized Urban Shield SWAT program after 2018.
On Tuesday March 27th, 2018 the Stop Urban Shield coalition rallied and packed the halls at the Board of Supervisors with vibrant messaging, powerful young people, and committed community members, health workers and retired professionals.
Our people’s organization and testimony yesterday, after over 5 years of campaigning, pushed decision makers to defy the sheriff and his war games. Decision-makers sided with the people and isolated the Sheriff, refusing to allow him to host Urban Shield in the future. We want to raise up and celebrate the young people, undocumented folks and survivors of police violence for showing up in the face of intimidation from cops and Sheriff’s office.
Years of tireless organizing and raising widespread community opposition to police militarization and racism by the Stop Urban Shield coalition is a huge victory for our communities. We are humbled to organize with so many powerful groups and people in this struggle!
Although we would have liked to see Urban Shield ended immediately, having an end to Urban Shield after this year reflects a significant shift in how the Bay Area can be better prepared for emergencies and disasters in ways that are not based on militarization.
CR Oakland and our partners in the Stop Urban Shield coalition are committed to continue working with communities to secure this win and keep our decision-makers accountable to us.
We demand community based emergency preparedness not tied to militarized policing, and we will dismantle and refuse any growth of policing in Alameda County. We will build community resources and relationships that defend our communities from the violence of policing, and position our communities to keep chipping away at the prison industrial complex.
