Social justice groups call for police reform to be included in Democratic platform in November

MILWAUKEE -- In light of the unrest following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Coalition to March on the DNC, along with several other social justice groups are unifying behind a plank of policing reform — and that it must be included in the party's platform for the November election.

Red Arrow Park was chosen by organizers as it was the site of the 2014 shooting death of Dontre Hamilton by a Milwaukee police officer.

"In light of the surge of protests that have swept across the country following the murder of George Floyd, we found it imperative to amplify our demand of community control of police and an end to police terror," said Omar Flores of the Coalition to March on the DNC.

While the group supports the Democratic Party in defeating President Donald Trump, it is calling on the Democratic Party to take action and make meaningful policing reforms — and intends to march on the DNC at the Wisconsin Center come August.

Lauryn Cross

"This isn't a partisan issue," said Lauryn Cross of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression. "This is about getting justice for people affected by police crimes, no matter the conditions, no matter the political affiliation of the city or town that they reside in. This is about the families."

Earlier this month, a task force put together by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and former candidate Senator Bernie Sanders released a list of recommendations as part of a unity platform, calling for the banning of chokeholds, investing in community policing and investigating police misconduct patterns, as well as creating unarmed first responders, like social workers and mental health experts, to tackle low-level conflicts allowing police officers to handle serious crimes.

Omar Flores

When asked if those recommendations align with the coalition's goals:

"As a coalition, we don't — officially — support any kind of presidential candidate whatsoever," Flores said. "It's much bigger than Bernie Sanders, or Biden. It's about a people's agenda, and that anybody that could fulfill a people's agenda is what we support."

FOX6 reached out to the Democratic Party for a response to the coalition's demands for planks of the party platform but have not heard back.