Updated with video of the webinar! The murder of George Floyd has sparked a national and global movement calling on local jurisdictions to defund their police. This demand is not new and is in response to a long history of deadly racist police uses of force. In Canada, as in the U.S., police interactions with Black, Indigenous, and racialized community members, often end in death. The recent deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, and Chantel Moore at the hands of police called-in for ‘wellness’ checks have sparked similar calls to defund police in Toronto.
Given the increased global attention to defunding police and prison abolition, this panel brings together organizers, activists and people with lived experience from across north-Turtle Island to discuss the basics of police defunding, community alternatives to police, and ultimately, prison abolition. Together, we will learn from past successes and ask – what does defunding police mean in action? Where should resources go instead? And how can we care for each other and ensure accountability in a world without police?
Speakers include:
• Rachel Herzig, Co-director, Centre for Political Education; Co-founder, Critical Resistance
• Gita Rao Maden, M.A. Social Justice Education, advocate for police-free schools
• Samson Dekamo, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion; HWDSB Kids Need Help
• Louis March, Founder & Director, Zero Gun Violence Movement; volunteer community worker and advocate
Moderated by Gabby C Aquino
