By The Justice for Nate Coalition
On Friday August 22, the Justice For Nate Coalition mobilized to the nearby suburb of Midlothian, IL to hold a press conference and demonstration at an annual baseball game between the so-called Chicago Police Knights and the Chicago Fire Bravest baseball clubs. Our coalition had gotten advance information back in June that Andrew Paulauskas, the pig who initially ran down and tackled Nate Fejerang on the night of his murder, would be participating in the game as a pitcher.
The fact that Paulauskas—immediately on the heels of the gruesome murder of Nate Fejerang, initiated by his own disregard of established policy on Chicago Police Department (CPD) foot pursuits and unprovoked pig violence—felt comfortable in participating in a public event which serves to whitewash CPD’s reputation, rightfully enraged Nate’s family and community members.
Early on in the campaign for justice, Nate’s family and our community demonstrated their intention to disrupt this event. This prompted a member of District Council 025 from the so-called “Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability”, named Angelica Green, to become aware of the baseball game, plans for Paulauskas to participate, and the family’s demand to remove him from the game. Ms. Green—the keen politician that she is—approached the family to inform them that there was in fact no need need to protest. Andrew Paulauskas, she assured us, would be barred from the game per the demand of her office.
This assurance meant little to the family and the broader Justice For Nate Coalition. After all, Chicago’s working class and nationally oppressed communities had already been assured by city officials over three years ago that CPD would not initiate investigatory stops and foot pursuits based upon “flight alone,” and that officers were prohibited from engaging in excessive use of force or “using force to punish persons for fleeing, resisting arrest, or assaulting a Department member.” Nate’s family, community, and organizers all unanimously agreed that we cannot take the word of conniving city politicians at face value, and that we should disrupt the event as planned.
Organizers and supporters of the campaign arrived at Ozinga Field at 6pm where we set up next to the stadium entrance, a banner reading “Justice for Nate” in hand, to bring attention to this heinous case of injustice. Organizers from the Borikén Liberation Front, People’s Defense Chicago, and the La Clark Youth League – Revolutionary Students Union spoke to local news media about the purpose of our mobilization and the demands of the Humboldt Park community: as of August 22, 85 days had gone by since Nate’s murder—85 days without justice. Nate’s family, friends, and community are still mourning while the pigs involved play literal games surrounded by their families. We demanded that Andrew Paulauskas be removed from the game, that his suspiciously cut body cam footage be released in full, that Oscar Asilis be charged and arrested for murder, and that CPD be held accountable to their established policies on foot pursuits.
Shortly after these demands were read to the press, the game officially began. The reading of player numbers confirmed JFN’s suspicions: Paulauskas did not even face the minimum possible repercussions for his racist, violent actions, and was indeed participating in the game. Coalition members and supporters loudly chanted “Killer Cop!” at the announcement of his name and number.
There are a number of lessons to be drawn out from this experience. Firstly, CPD is still able to murder and terrorize poor and oppressed communities with absolute impunity. Secondly, that the city government, the Civilian Office of Police “Accountability” (COPA)—who still have not made any concrete steps in holding Oscar Asilis or Andrew Paulaukas “accountable”—and CPD all work hand-in-glove in service of the ruling capitalist class who profits from our exploitation, oppression, and murder. Our class enemies learned something from this experience as well: that wherever they go, whatever they do, the masses will not rest until these killer cops are off the streets and until the epidemic of police terror in our neighborhoods is finally put to an end.
