Milwaukee organizations demand protection for protesters, shifting funding from police

Rory Linnane
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Markasa Tucker, director of the African American Roundtable, speaks in June at a launch for Liberate MKE, a campaign to redirect budget funding from police to other departments.

The African-American Roundtable in Milwaukee published a list of demands cosigned by more than 65 organizations and leaders Tuesday, calling for protection of protesters, reduction and accountability in policing, and greater investment in public health services. 

The group, led by Markasa Tucker, called for the Milwaukee Police Department to stop using rubber bullets and gas on protesters. Members also demanded officials withdraw the National Guard, stop implementing curfews, release all protesters and revoke curfew fines. 

"We're going through the consequence of white supremacy not being addressed, racism not being addressed, divestment from communities not being addressed," Tucker said in a press release. "So much more has not been addressed that people shouldn't expect any other response.”

The group called for shifting budget priorities, as they have before with the Liberate MKE campaign. They want city officials to remove $75 million from the Milwaukee Police Department budget while investing $50 million in public health efforts and $25 million in housing cooperatives.

RELATED: Liberate MKE campaign community groups vow to take on Milwaukee's city budget

The group also demanded the termination of MPD officer Michael Mattioli, who is suspended but still receiving a paycheck, and an internal investigation led by the Fire and Police Commission. Mattioli has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, accused of putting Joel Acevedo in a fatal chokehold while off-duty April 19. 

Additionally, the organizations called on city officials to immediately appoint community members to the Community Collaborative Commission. Required under a 2018 settlement agreement, the commission is tasked with providing community feedback on policing, “particularly with respect to the treatment of members of minority, LGBTQ, disabled, and other historically underserved and underrepresented communities.” 

The Roundtable, along with Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, is already seeking community feedback about MPD Chief Alfonso Morales with a public survey. The groups will share responses with the Fire and Police Commission in advance of Morales' six-month review. 

Finally, the group outlined needs related to the coronavirus and its financial implications. They called for a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, mortgages, and utility disconnections for Milwaukee County residents for all of 2020. They also said racism should be declared a public health crisis statewide and all residents should have access to affordable health care. 

Some people supporting the demands had previously been falsely listed as co-signers of a different letter circulated by Elmer Moore, executive director for Scale Up Milwaukee and on staff at the Greater Milwaukee Committee. 

After initially signing more than 130 people to the letter, which condemned people who’ve damaged property during recent protests, Moore sent an updated version of the letter Monday with just 73 names attached. 

Dakota Hall, executive director with Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT), was one of the names on the initial letter. He said he did not support the full message of the letter and had not agreed to sign it. 

“Instead of condemning the protesters, we must hold elected officials accountable to their promises and press them to create and fund race based equity plans,” he wrote. 

LIT, a non-profit led by youth of color, did sign onto the Roundtable’s list of demands. LIT had already released its own set of demands last week with shared priorities. 

LIT specifically called for cutting all police funding from Milwaukee Public Schools and investing $16 million in hiring more counselors and mental health professionals. The group recently celebrated a victory when MPS board members voted to divert $100,000 from police services to hire restorative practice coaches.

Tucker said she hopes the protests continue to draw more attention and energy to the demands — many of which are not new. 

"I think that every time we have an uprising, it's just a level up and it's a level up," she said. "We're seeing a lot more people and more structure around the energy."

Ashley Luthern contributed to this report. 

Rory Linnane reports on public health and works to make information accessible so readers can improve their lives and hold officials accountable. Contact Rory at (414) 801-1525 or rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane