Muslims for Abolition march by Sehar Sufi

Public Story

Muslims for Abolition march

Copyright Sehar Sufi 2024

Updated Sep 2020

Location Bronzeville, Chicago

Topics Abolition, Chicago, March, Muslim, Protest

Marchers gather at the Ida B. Wells monument in Bronzeville, Chicago to call for the abolition of police and the prison industrial complex. The marchers marched to and stopped in front of the local police precinct, conducted Jum’ah prayer and speakers proceeded to talk about the imperative within Islam to uphold justice. A key highlight from the program following prayer was police brutality being not just a human issue but a Muslim issue as well. One speaker also made it a point to differentiate “reformist reforms” from “abolitionist reforms” as it relates to police brutality and accountability. Translated copies of “The Prayer of the Oppressed” were passed around so that marchers could read along as it was recited in Arabic. There were many onlookers in the area who recorded marchers as they passed by and some who expressed solidarity. The police followed the crowd closely in cars and on police bikes. Initially, police blocked off entrance to the front of the precinct, but after some persisting from marchers, they opened up the area for marchers to gather.

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