RALLY AND MARCH AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY

On Wednesday, October 22, 2003 a rally against police brutality took place at 24^th and Mission Streets in San Francisco, followed by a march to City Hall.  The action was organized by the October 22 Coalition against Police Brutality, the Idriss Stelley Foundation and Bay Area PoliceWatch and was attended by 100’s of angry and outraged citizens.

Many relatives of victims of police brutality shared their stories about their loved ones being murdered by police.

One of these stories is about  20 year old Terrence Mearis.  It was 12:30am on October 5, 2003 in what the residents call “Deep East Oakland”, Terrence lay sleeping on his friend’s floor at 92^nd and C Streets.  According to witnesses at the scene, Oakland police officers Ryan Gill, 25, and Richard Vass, 27 entered the house, awakened him, started beating him with batons, fists, and feet for at least 5 minutes and eventually shot him in the head numerous times, assassination style.  You can read the full story in the San Francisco Bay View newspaper.

The details of the police killing of this young man were verified in an interview of Terrence's mother, Monique Mearis and his aunt Nicki Thompson at the rally. 

"How many more people's children have to be subject to police brutality and torture before these injustices end?  This brutality MUST STOP NOW!",  Monique said.

Photo (by Bernie Fox) shows Terrence's aunt Nicki Thompson (with microphone) and his mother, Monique Mearis (to the right in the photo) during the rally.