Marietta, Ga. — March 30 started as a wonderful evening out with family, celebrating my mother-in-law‘s birthday. We saw the Temptations and the Four Tops, and sang and danced into the night. Afterward, we were hungry, so we decided to go to an International House of Pancakes (IHOP) restaurant near the concert venue in Marietta, Ga., next to local landmark the Big Chicken.

After our meal we were getting ready to leave when I heard a man (later identified as Renardo Lewis) loudly asking, “Why didn’t you tell me this 30 minutes ago?”

We started moving towards the door since it was time to go. I heard the same manager who was rude to my husband screaming at Mr. Lewis’ wife, “I don’t have to give you my name or number.” She then asked for the phone number of the corporate office, and this too was refused by the IHOP manager.

Then, two police officers, a man and a woman, entered the restaurant and I began to record the incident.

The male officer escalated the situation by yelling at Mr. Lewis to shut up, without any provocation. Mr. Lewis, who is Black, asked the officer not to yell at him and to treat him like a man.

Three more cops then entered the restaurant. Mr. Lewis and his wife were not allowed to leave, although they were not under arrest. One of the cops who had just arrived asked Mr. Lewis for identification. As he was pulling his ID out of his wallet, he was pushed against a window by three officers.

The first racist cop who’d come in screaming joined his out of control pals to restrain Mr. Lewis. This first cop tased Mr. Lewis five times and punched him several times, breaking his tooth and injuring his head.

Three of these officers came in without asking any questions and assaulted this African-American man. They pushed his wife and my sister as they were trying to help.

As can be seen in the video, at no time did Mr. Lewis threaten or touch any of the officers, their tasers or guns! In addition at no time prior to the police getting there did I hear or see Mr. Lewis making a threats or gesturing in a threatening manner.

The Marietta Police Department posted a bunch of lies on their Facebook page to cover their racist response to a call involving a Black man. However, the video says it all. They were wrong from the start.

Renardo Lewis is being held without bond as these racist cops try to come up with charges to justify what they did. It’s all on tape, and there is no justification for the gestapo tactics these and other cops use against Black and Brown people.

The Atlanta People’s Power Assembly is calling for a national boycott of IHOP, calls into the Cobb County DA’s office to drop all charges and free Renardo. A petition for the DA to investigate the abuse of power by the Marietta Police and a demonstration at the National Headquarter of IHOP in California and the local franchise where the incident occurred.

Contact Atlanta People’s Power Assembly at +1 (470) 402-4493
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peoples-Power-Assembly-Atlanta-808587709475236/
Email: AtlantaPeoplesPowerAssembly@gmail.com

CARAVAN TO THE BORDER:

We the undersigned groups and individuals call on community, union, student
and worker groups to hold “Welcoming Committees” at the U.S. border.  Let’s bring food, water and aid. Let’s bring our bodies to welcome and show support for the thousands of refugees who are risking their lives to build a better life for their loved ones.

HOLD LOCAL ACTIONS:

If you cannot get to the border, hold emergency actions in your city, town,
workplace or school as the migrant and refugee caravan nears or reaches the U.S. border. Shut down ICE offices, rally at detention centers, and schedule rush hour marches.

BUILD SOLIDARITY

We as workers, students and youth have more in common with the migrants who are fleeing conditions that have been manufactured by global capitalists and the Pentagon, than with these same bosses who refuse to pay workers a living wage or fight against enacting universal health care or workers’ rights.

As women, LGBTQ, queer and Trans activists, we extend our hand to our refugee sisters, brothers and siblings to build solidarity.

It is critical that we guarantee our opposition to every form of racism both at home experienced by Black and Brown people in every major city and corner of this country — along with fighting to say no to the racist policies that target Muslims, African, Caribbean and Latinx migrants. We say No Walls against Mexico or Palestine.

It’s important to remember that the refugees who embarked on this grueling march are doing so because of U.S. imperialist policies that have left a legacy of violence, oppression and crushing poverty forcing people to flee their homes and risk everything.

TO THE GI TROOPS

To those rank and files GI’s being sent to the border, we call on you not to go. If you are already there, then conduct work slowdowns, get sick, but most of all follow your conscience — don’t shoot or brutalize defenseless unarmed children, women and men.

The cost of this troop deployment is estimated to be $220 million: this is badly needed money that could be spent on schools, jobs and veteran services that have been slashed.

PUSH BACK TRUMP REACTION

It’s urgent that we do everything possible to push back the Trump reaction which has ushered in a violent neo-right-wing current that threatens everyone.  We cannot wait until the elections; we must mobilize now!

We call on all groups to cooperate and work together to make this happen.  We urge those who are able to also join SOA School of the America Watch at the border (You can contact them at: http://www.SOAW.org)

To sign on to this CALL respond on Facebook or email: WelcomeMigrantCaravan@gmail.com or call or text
410-218-4835.

Si se puede, Yes we can!