By: Justice for Nate Coalition
On Saturday, June 14th, the Chicago Puerto Rican community gathered in Humboldt Park for an annual celebration of our heritage. Police were bussed in by the dozens as snow plows and barricades were stationed along major roads in an unprecedented show of force.
Community members were upset by the police showing out in large numbers to intimidate the community. Mass surveillance of our gatherings of national pride and celebration reinforce our ongoing five-century-long struggle against state violence at the hands of colonizing powers.
During the parade, the Justice for Nate Coalition (JNC) released thousands of flyers into the crowd and parade calling on our community to demand justice for Nathaniel (Nate) Fejerang, a Boricua youth who was murdered by the Chicago Police Department near his home in Humboldt Park on Thursday, May 29th. CPD pigs have tried to frame this as a justified killing, claiming Nate posed a threat to them, but his neighbors have repeatedly relayed that he had his hands up when the pigs murdered him. All facts of the situation are pointing to a classic CPD coverup for a murder that should have never happen.
The aims of the campaign and the Justice for Nate Coalition (JNC) are to support Fejerang’s family in demanding the pigs release the body cam footage of the murder and the name of the pig who killed Nate. CPD is refusing to release this evidence because they know they are lying to the masses. We demand the killer pig be prosecuted, fired, and jailed. We stand united with a coalition of Puerto Rican and community organizations calling for an end to state violence against our people. We demand an end to CPD robbing Boricua youth of their futures.
The JNC calls on our community to demand justice for Nate and all Boricuas murdered by the state. Join us for a vigil honoring Nate and calling for justice on June 26th at 6:30 pm at Grand and Kolin Ave. None of us are free until we are all free from state violence. Rest in power Nate. Pa’lante.
[For more information on the campaign for justice for the police murder of Nate Fejerang, read our previous article here.]
