Junteenth: March for Change in Ann Arbor

JUNETEENTH: A time to celebrate the freedoms we have gained, and to reflect on the freedoms we still have to fight for. ROUTE: Start at the diag, go downtown Washington street, turn right onto State Street, then left onto Huron, left onto Main St, then left onto William St, then left onto State Street and then end back at the Diag. June 19th is the day slaves were finally officially freed, two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation. Yet to this day, as had been clearly illustrated in the fast few weeks, black people in this country face devastating oppression in the form of police brutality and backhanded slavery in the form of mass incarceration. Right now, we are in the midst of the world's largest civil rights movement - one that has broken every possible barrier of what it means to protest and protect our brothers and sisters from institutionalized prison slavery, mass incarceration, and of course, police over-invasion and brutality. JOIN US. Be a part of this huge, exciting, inclusive movement. Join us to make real change. DEMANDS: ***Decrease the Ann Arbor police budget and use those funds to REFUND and invest in our minority and over-policed communities. The 2020 budget shows that 27% of the general fund was allocated to policing, and only 16% allocated to community services and 8% to public services. We should be investing in affordable housing, mental health services, and rent suspension and forgiveness for those affected by corona. ***Demilitarize the police: make sure our cops don't have access to weapons of war to use in our streets ***Increase accountability: Make sure the cops and the police union in our community are held accountable by US. ***Fully support Black Lives Matter and their demands. We hope that this event can be a sort of precursor to the traditional events of Juneteenth, and as well promote discussion and understanding of where "freedom" has led us, and where we can be more free. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Always available to help and to work with as many organizations as possible. It's time to work together, y'all.