Don’t Shoot: Show Love to Take Place in Barrio Logan  

By Nepantla Collective

In light of an ongoing epidemic of police brutality, both locally and around the globe, where targets are predominantly impoverished, marginalized and/or people of color, the Nepantla Collective will be hosting a one-day event in Barrio Logan, entitled “Don’t Shoot: Show Love”. This event will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 3pm to 10pm in Barrio Logan’s Barrio Arts District.

Monica Hernandez of the Nepantla Collective breaks down why they decided to organize the events and why Barrio Logan was chosen as the venue:

A few years back, my best friend was severely brutalized and beaten by SDPD. Granted he had been rightfully stopped for a traffic violation & had drank a few beers that evening, but by no means did that warrant the excessive force that left his entire body severely bruised. He could barely walk for days, but what hurt me more than to see him in such physical pain, was the look in his eyes that reflected a loss of dignity, which had been brutally stripped from his soul that day.

It was the same look my brother had when he was released from incarceration after being arrested at a student protest. My brother had been charged with assault and battery of a police officer, when in fact it was them (about 3 – 4 officers) who had kicked and broken one of my brother’s ribs. Fortunately we had video footage of the incident and after over a year in court, the Superior Court of Alameda County not only dismissed all charges but also granted a factual finding of innocence.

I have never been fond of the police. In my neighborhood they rode around as if we were their prey. Being stopped by them meant we were either going to lose our freedom, our money, our dignity or a little bit of each. But witnessing two of the men that I hold dearest to my heart be unjustly abused at the hands of police officers who were never held accountable for their actions – that is at the heart of what drives me to rally all those who have ever felt the same way as I have. It is the very least we can do for our loved ones.

That is why my heart goes out to Mike Brown’s family, and all the mothers who have lost their daughters in Juarez, and all the fathers who are out searching for their missing sons in Guerrero or anyone who has ever been a victim and/or survivor of police brutality here or anywhere in the world.

We are so fortunate to be able to come together in Barrio Logan and speak out against this particular type of injustice. Barrio Logan is a special place in San Diego with an energy of its own that precedes our generation, but continues to live through us. We gather there to demand that all officers and agents be held accountable and prosecuted for their actions. We require policies and practices that facilitate transparency and accountability. And above all, we will continue to create an environment in which violence is not tolerated and instead nurtures a climate of love and compassion as a point of departure to the resolution of conflicts.

Don’t Shoot: Show Love will feature over 100 artists, performers, community members & organizations.

Bicycle enthusiasts will have the opportunity to raise awareness about police brutality by riding in memory of someone who has lost their lives to the excessive force of police violence. The 2-mile bike route will begin at 3pm in front of the Bread & Salt.

La Bodega Gallery & Studios will showcase visual art, installations, spoken word and performances.

There will be a photojournalistic exhibition at the Chicano Art Gallery.

The Church will host a “know-your-rights” workshop facilitated by the American Civil Liberties Union. There will also be a San Diego premiere screening of the documentary film – The Ghost of March 21 about the bloodiest day in the history of Oakland law enforcement. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session and discussion with filmmaker Sam Stoker and a panel of San Diego activists and educators who will address local issues of SDPD activity including racial profiling, police misconduct, accountability and community response to the police worn body cameras.

The event will also produce a series of multimedia instillations throughout the Barrio Arts District and the Nepantla Collective will facilitate a community engagement art piece that will be produced at the event and presented to the SDPD at a later time.

For more information on Don’t Shoot: Show Love visit.

The Nepantla Collective brings together a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life to raise awareness on contemporary social issues. Nepantla is a Nahuatl term meaning “in between” or “from the middle”. It speaks to a consciousness and sensibility of endangered peoples and cultures that have gone through a process of forced acculturation or have been socially/politically/spiritually marginalized. Nepantla is the transformative space from which we think, live and (re)create as a form of cultural survival.