SDS Says Justice for Keenan Anderson! Black Lives Matter!

On January 3rd, 2023, Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old Black high school teacher, was murdered by the Los Angeles Police Department, after they tased him repeatedly on the street as he begged for his life. Keenan was the cousin of a co-founder of the national Black Lives Matter organization, Patrisse Cullors. He was stopped during a traffic accident. One officer even restrained him in a manner eerily similar to how Derek Chauvin restrained George Floyd, with an elbow on the neck. He was tased needlessly over 10 times, including one moment when the taser was held for 30 seconds. Video footage emerged a few days ago of the incident and showed clearly that the incident was a cold-blooded murder.

More than once a day, a Black person is killed by police in the United States. They exercise brutal means to keep the Black community down, as they are trained to do. It is inherent to their job, as the protectors of the property of the rich and the punishers of the poor. In LA in particular, LAPD routinely carries out killings of Chicanos and Latinos, such as the case of David Ordaz, Jr, killed in March 2021 as he was undergoing a mental health crisis, and the case of the 14-year-old teenager, Jesse Romero. These cases are nothing short of racist murders, and the officers need to be brought to justice - not only fired, but arrested and sent to prison for murder.

We demand that the names and identities of the murderers of Keenan Anderson be released, and those killer cops brought to justice. We take inspiration from the families of the victims of police crimes and we will stand up with them and the community against police crimes. We continue to support the call for community control of the police. We continue to say, "Black Lives Matter," and join the chorus of voices who cry, "Justice for Keenan Anderson!"