Defund CPD

DEFUND CPD

In early summer 2020, individual activists and organizations fighting for police abolition and Black liberation for years joined forced to create the Black Abolitionist Network which seeded the #DefundCPD campaign. In 2020, the campaign called for a 75% divestment from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and investment into community services among other demands. #DefundCPD educated, organized, and mobilized thousands of Chicagoans around abolitionist demand to defund the CPD on the heels of the global uprisings against state violence and white supremacy; and for Black lives. Explore below for 2021 updates and demands.

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Filmed, Edited, & Produced by James Edward Murray

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Protestors v. City of Chicago

Words by Miracle Boyd, Produced & Edited by Sensitive Visuals, Photos by Love & Struggle Photos, Music by PK, Footage by SoapBox, guillaume Le Mezo, Tom Callahan, Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle, Ervin Lòpez, Austin C. Pruett

Budget Press Conference

Produced by #DefundCPD & SoapBox, Edited by James Edward Murray, Music by Chicago Soundbox, Footage by James Edward Murray & Caullen Hudson

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After five months of intentional hibernation for rest and restoration, the #DefundCPD campaign started actively organizing again in April 2021. Coming off a difficult March and April, still surviving a pandemic and experiencing several high-profile police killings in Chicago, the campaign jumped off with the Mourn the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living action and multiple efforts leading into the summer including but not limited to ending the ShotSpotter contract with the City, abolishing the gang database, and more.

Demands

2021 Toolkit

2021 Survey

Mourn the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living

May 29, 2021 -- Some sights and sounds from the first public #DefundCPD action out of hibernation “Honor the Dead, Fight like Hell for the Living” action. Shoutout to everyone who has been mourning and resisting this past year. We can’t change the past but we can make the future, and that starts now.

Footage by Caullen Hudson; Edit by Kelly Riley.

Juneteenth 2021

This Juneteenth, #DefundCPD demonstrated that abolition is presence by holding it down at a block party with education, creativity, care, and celebration. In a world without police, how do we show up for each other? What does community care look like everyday? Below is a glimpse, for more, join the campaign. We do this 'til we free us.

Edited by James Edward Murray, Footage by James Edward Murray & Caullen Hudson, Field Direction by David A. Moran & Caullen Hudson

Footage by Caullen Hudson, Edited by Kelly Riley

Header and photo above by Sarah-Ji.
Photo below by Thoughtpoet.

stop shotspotter

2020 Uprisings Coverage

COVID-19 rapid-response organizing

Related Podcast Episode

Related Editorial Piece

Two Budget Speeches: Two Visions for Chicago’s Future by Grace del Vecchio

"These are the times to grow our souls. Each of us is called upon to embrace the conviction that despite the powers and principalities bent on commodifying all our human relationships, we have the power within us to create the world anew."
GRACE LEE BOGGS | Organizer, Activist, Educator, & Author

power.

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DEFUND CPD

S U M M E R 2 0 2 0

F A L L 2 0 2 0

Protestors v. City of Chicago

Budget Press Conference

2 0 2 1

Demands

Mourn the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living

Juneteenth 2021

"These are the times to grow our souls. Each of us is called upon to embrace the conviction that despite the powers and principalities bent on commodifying all our human relationships, we have the power within us to create the world anew."
GRACE LEE BOGGS | Organizer, Activist, Educator, & Author

power.

frame.

sustain.

DEFUND CPD

S U M M E R 2 0 2 0

F A L L 2 0 2 0

Protestors v. City of Chicago

Budget Press Conference

2 0 2 1

Demands

Mourn the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living

Juneteenth 2021

"These are the times to grow our souls. Each of us is called upon to embrace the conviction that despite the powers and principalities bent on commodifying all our human relationships, we have the power within us to create the world anew." GRACE LEE BOGGS | Organizer, Activist, Educator, & Author

power.

frame.

sustain.

"These are the times to grow our souls. Each of us is called upon to embrace the conviction that despite the powers and principalities bent on commodifying all our human relationships, we have the power within us to create the world anew."
GRACE LEE BOGGS | Organizer, Activist, Educator, & Author