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People Battle Cops: Free Antowyn!

By VVAW

The struggle to free Antowyn Cauley and to stop police repression was brought to the streets of Chicago on January 25th. About 200 people began a spirited march in the Mexican-Polish community of Pilsen despite cold, snowing weather. Chants of "People Unite, Let's Fight On, Stop Police Repression, Free Antowyn!" rang through the community as the demonstrators marched on a local police station, demanding Antowyn's freedom, stopping police repression and ending deportations of Mexican workers. After a militant picket line at the police station, the demonstration continued through the main street of Pilsen where a raging battle between the police and the demonstrators occurred, culminating in victory for the people and defeat for the cops.

The demonstration was organized by the Coalition to Free Antowyn Cauley. Among the groups in it is VVAW/WSO. The coalition was formed last summer after Antowyn Cauley, a young black man, was shot by police in the Juneway Terrace community of northern Chicago. What had happened was a typical of police terrorism. As cops were hassling a group of community people a crowd had gathered around them. Fearing the crowd, the cops tried to disperse them. Antowyn, who was standing by shouted, "You cops aren't so tough when there's only one of you." As he turned to walk away, several cops jumped him and one, John Wilson, shot him in the side. To cover up this shooting the cops charged him with disorderly conduct, aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Police terrorism in Black and Latino communities is especially intense as the crisis of imperialism deepens; resulting in massive unemployment, huge price hikes and soaring inflation. The formation of the coalition and the struggle to free Antowyn is a struggle to end this brutal exploitation of the people. The January 25th demonstration was another part of the overall campaign of the coalition.

The fight with the cops broke out when the cops tried to stop the marches who had taken the streets to bring the campaign to the people of Pilsen. As the cops began attacking people, the people fought back. One cop was seen hitting the pavement with blood gushing from a gash in his head. Even though the cops succeeded in breaking the march in tow, they were totally outfought. Despite police reinforcements, the demonstrators were able to beat them down, enlisting the support of countless community people who were standing alongside cheering the marchers on and shouting down the police. Some of the people joined in the fight. After the "dust" had cleared 17 demonstrators were arrested and at least 8 cops were in need of immediate medical care.

From there the remainder of the demonstrators and many community people went on to an indoor rally where speakers from the Revolutionary Union, the Iranian Students Association and VVAW/WSO, among others, spoke about police repression and the rising struggles of people to defeat the imperialist system responsible for it. The multi-national rally was spirited and united.

That night about 100 people came to a picket line in support of the 17 people who were arrested. All were free by the next morning and subsequently charges were dropped on all but seven; six of whom were charged with felonies. Four of these people are members of VVAW/WSO.

Since the demonstration, members of the Cauley coalition have been leafleting the Pilsen community and are finding that the community people fully support the demands of the coalition. The coalition has doubled in size and the fight to free Antowyn and stop police repression continues to grow in Chicago.