Activists launch Campaign Zero, a comprehensive platform including policies and demands
On Friday morning, leading activists from the Movement for Black Lives unveiled a comprehensive platform aimed to create systems and structures that will end police violence. Called Campaign Zero, the website includes a set of policies and demands, including calls for the end of “broken window policing,” the practice of stop-and-frisk profiling, police ticket quotas and the demilitarization of police.
According to the website, Campaign Zero is sourced from the demands of protesters nationwide, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, recommendations from research organizations and comprehensive data on the causes and impact of police violence.
“Campaign Zero was informed by many voices and can serve as both a tool for change in the hands of activists and a playbook for public officials,” Brittany Packnett, one of the activists behind Campaign Zero, said in an interview.
“Data on police killings informed which things (minor offenses, mental health emergency, etc) led to police killings,” said Samuel Sinyangwe, a data analyst and activist behind the project.
Campaign Zero reports that “police killed at least 287 people last year who were involved in minor offenses and harmless activities like sleeping in parks, possessing drugs, looking ‘suspicious’ or having a mental health crisis.” The campaigners demand these activities be decriminalized or de-prioritized by law enforcement.
The platform was announced by prominent activist DeRay Mckesson on twitter and greatly received by others, many of which began to suggest additional policies and demands.
Today we launched Campaign Zero, a comprehensive plan to end police violence. Check it out http://t.co/zswMQP8mXj. pic.twitter.com/i7dNFAHvPj
— deray mckesson (@deray) August 21, 2015
This is everyone’s problem, let’s solve it! https://t.co/SlBwXq8PDn
— Daniel Feinberg (@thedjdaf) August 21, 2015
Campaign Zero supports my bill to #stoppolicemilitarization #end1033: http://t.co/NXpEV6La85 .@samswey .@deray .@MsPackyetti
— Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) August 21, 2015
Ending police violence doesn’t seem so insurmountable with a clear platform like #CampaignZero. https://t.co/tgKK9osnof
— Errin (@errin_jade) August 21, 2015
Campaign Zero also includes local, state and federal policy agendas as well as a tracker for the 2016 presidential candidates.
