Louisville Declares Preemptive State of Emergency Ahead of Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Verdict

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 22, 2020
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com

Louisville Declares Preemptive State of Emergency Ahead of Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Verdict

UltraViolet Says Louisville is Trying to Sow Discord and Incite Violence against People Showing Up for Justice for Breonna Taylor

LOUISVILLE — Late last night, it was reported that Louisville, Kentucky declared a pre-emptive state of emergency in preparation for the grand jury decision on whether to charge LMPD officers Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove with the murder of Breonna Taylor.

In reaction to the announcement, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet issued the following statement:

“If there is violence in Louisville during this state of emergency, it will be because the LMPD and the city have armed themselves against their very own citizens who are rightfully outraged at the murder of Breonna Taylor.

“Increasing the presence of the very police department that killed several of its citizens and terrorized protesters for the past six months belie Mayor Fischer and the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department’s claim that these measures are to protect citizens.

“Instead of putting time and resources into silencing protest, they should be focused on charging, indicting, and convicting the three officers – and defunding the LMPD.”

Since Breonna Taylor’s death on March 13th, UltraViolet has collaborated with Black Lives Matter activists in Louisville, Kentucky to:

Run a series of 30 second television spots during the 2020 Kentucky Derby demanding justice for Breonna Taylor.
Take out a full page ad in the Louisville Courier Journal for what would have been her 27th birthday on Friday, June 5th.
Fly a plane over downtown Louisville with a banner reading “BREONNA WAS ESSENTIAL. DEFUND LMPD.”
Air a TV ad in late July on CBS, NBC, FOX and ABS affiliates in Louisville urging the Attorney General and Mayor Fischer to fire, arrest and charge the officers responsible for Breonna’s death.
Ask major employers in Louisville, including Humana, Ford and UPS to take a stand to demand justice for Breonna in a joint letter.

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