On Sunday, May 31st the Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, Broward Dream Defenders and Broward DSA planned a large protest in response to the killings of George Floyd nationally and Barry Gedeus locally. We had over 3,000 people participate in our peaceful protest. After our action ended, protesters were making their way home when police escalated violence. The Ft. Lauderdale Police Department shoved one black woman on the ground and shot another one in the head with a rubber bullet.

We are calling on the Ft. Lauderdale City Commission to become visionary leaders and defund the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department and invest in community-based solutions to keep black, indigenous and communities of color safe. We are calling on them commit to the following on Tuesday, June 16th, 2020 at the next commission meeting:

1. To never again vote to increase police funding or to increase the police department's budget.

2. To protect and expand current investment in community led-health strategies (such as investing in doula care, restorative justice, and an additional stimulus to Ft. Lauderdale residents).

3. To propose and send to municipal vote for a $100 million reallocation of money that was allocated from the General Obligation Bond for Public Safety in March of 2019 for a new Police Headquarter replacement project and instead invest those resources in community-led and identified measures. This cut is a response to safety shortfalls and failures.

4. To propose and vote on Tuesday, June 16th on an immediate 10% cut to the 102 million police department budget.

From Minneapolis to Ft. Lauderdale our people are hurting and crying out for genuine health and safety in the midst of living in a pandemic and the epidemic known as police brutality. We're done waiting for change, the time is now to invest in resources that truly safe. We can't afford to keep funding Ft. Lauderdale's Police Departments attacks on community members like Latoya Ratlieff