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Protests haven’t slowed down in New York since it was announced the city will not indict officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner. Instead, special task force and proud advocates, Justice League NYC, has come up with a list of demands for the NYPD to abide by.

The group, founded by Carmen Perez, has played a key role in some of the biggest protests in the city. Prior to the Eric Garner case, many were out in the streets demanding justice for Ferguson teen Michael Brown, including the massive march on the West Side Highway. They also collaborated with Jay Z to hand out the “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.

The League has ties to Harry Belafonte, as it was developed under his organization, The Gathering for Justice.

According to its website, the League is “a task force of juvenile and criminal-justice advocates, artists and experts, and formerly incarcerated individuals… coordinating efforts in and around NYC in response to the non-indictment of Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner.” The League was “brought together under the banner of the Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte in 2005.”

When members of the Brooklyn Nets showed up wearing shirts that read “I Can’t Breathe” in front of the visiting British royals and a national television audience—that was the League’s work. They used connections to Jay Z to deliver the shirts, while outside they gathered a crowd of hundreds to march through traffic and eventually into a shopping center that they temporarily shut down.

On Wednesday, the group took to City Hall to read their list of demands for the NYPD and government officials. Perez was present with Russell Simmons, Eric Garner’s teenage son, Common, and city council members like Jumaane Williams.

Perez spoke about the list of demands, which include Daniel Pantaleo’s termination, a special prosecutor for cases in which police officers use deadly force, and many more.

“We’re looking at sustaining this and making sure that our demands are met and making sure that we hold our mayor, our governor, our attorney general accountable,” said the League’s founder, Carmen Perez.

Williams, who is a known advocate for police reform, also broke down the demands.

“I’ll say it twice: This press conference today is not about being anti-police,” Williams said and then said again. First, he emphasized the importance of the police and the need for new training and an end to “broken windows” tactics. Then he said the police were no substitute for the lack of other essential services in New York’s black neighborhoods.

The protests were not enough, Williams said, but would go on until the demands were met. “Nothing in this country of good conscience has ever happened without protest,” he said.

You can check out the League’s full list of demands above.

SOURCE: The Daily Beast | PHOTO CREDIT: Justice League NYC 

NYC Protests Following Eric Garner Grand Jury Non-Indictment (PHOTOS)
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