The ACLU of Arizona made the following statement regarding the ongoing protests against police violence happening across the nation and the state of Arizona:
“Black and Brown people should not have to live in fear of being killed by police. People across the country are rightfully demanding justice and accountability. The systemic racism in police agencies must end. Police violence and brutality against Black and Brown communities must end.”
“People have the constitutional right to protest and record the police in public spaces. We call on state and local law enforcement to respect demonstrators’ First Amendment rights and avoid resorting to the use of force, including chemical agents and projectiles. The dangers of chemical agents like tear gas have been well-documented and the use of these materials is particularly egregious while we’re in the middle of a global pandemic.”
“We join calls for police accountability and transparency and to those protesting, we are with you.”
More information on protesters’ rights, including the right to record police, is available online: https://www.acluaz.org/en/rights-protesters.
