Today’s Action: Tell Bill de Blasio we want justice for Eric Garner

Five years ago, Eric Garner was killed by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo. Approaching Garner on suspicion of selling unlicensed cigarettes, Pantaleo placed Garner in an illegal choke hold. Garner was strangled to death, but not before he was caught on video clearly saying “I can’t breathe” 11 times.

Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by the city medical examiner…but even with nationwide protests five years later, Pantaleo remains on the force, unpunished (and enjoying a nice raise).

Despite every opportunity to provide justice for Garner, Democratic Presidential candidate and Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio has chosen to do exactly…nothing. De Blasio takes the stage in the Democratic debates this Wednesday, and justice for Eric Garner is the first topic he needs to address.

Contact Mayor Bill de Blasio on Twitter, Facebook, or via the NYC mayoral office. Tell him while he’s asking for your vote that he needs to first fire and charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the homicide of Eric Garner.

De Blasio has had many opportunities to enact justice for Eric Garner, but de Blasio has skipped over all his options. Instead, he has protected Pantaleo, covering up a flood of previous disciplinary complaints and then launching investigations after the complaints were leaked to the public.

This injustice, this blatant neglect of Black lives, and the systemic pattern of police brutality against people of color does not belong in Gracie Mansion much less the White House (where it currently resides).

Tell Mayor Bill de Blasio (via Twitter, Facebook, or phone/online submission) that he must finally address the murder of Eric Garner while he’s asking for your vote. Anything short of firing and charging Officer Daniel Pantaleo is unacceptable.