CASPER, Wyo. —The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming say they support protests calling for change after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd, leading to his death.
“As people respond to the murder of George Floyd with protests, marches and vigils across the state, the ACLU of Wyoming supports the protestors’ cause and is calling for meaningful change for people who have been subjected to systemic or individual racism at the hands of the police,” the ACLU of Wyoming said on Monday, June 1.
They said that the “frustration and anger” is a result of promises of police reform not being fulfilled and “the tragic ever-growing list of names of people of color who have been killed by police.”
“Invariably, people of color in Wyoming face systemic barriers to education, health care, employment and justice,” said Antonio Serrano, advocacy manager for the ACLU of Wyoming. “In order to move from a place of outrage to a place of healing, there must be a fundamental shift in our state’s priorities and it needs to start with law enforcement and elected officials acknowledging the lives lost and people hurt by police in Wyoming. Pretending our state does not have these problems is turning a blind eye to an entire community and their pain. It is up to us as a community to stand together and do everything we can to fight against racism in any form and in any institution.”
The ACLU of Wyoming say they are willing to work with state lawmakers to help create policies that would help stop “unchecked systemic racism that’s brought us to this point.”
This article originally appeared on Oil City News. Used with permission.
