Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong and hundreds more celebrities and artists have signed an open letter urging the state of New York to introduce a level of police reform.
Specifically, the open letter is urging the state to repeal statute 50-A, which is a law the conceals police officers’ disciplinary records and personnel from public access.
“We mourn the killing of George Floyd and the unnecessary loss of so many black lives before his,” the letter opens.
“We must hold accountable those who violate the oath to protect and serve, and find justice for those who are victim to their violence. An indispensable step is having access to disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. New York statute 50-A blocks that full transparency, shielding a history of police misconduct from public scrutiny, making it harder to seek justice and bring about reform. It must be repealed immediately.
“It is not enough to chip away at 50-A; this boulder in the path of justice has stood in the way for far too long and must be crushed entirely. It is not just a misreading of the statute; it is not just an inappropriate broadening of its scope. It is the statute itself, serving to block relevant crucial information in the search for accountability.”
This open letter comes two weeks after the killing of George Floyd, which subsequently sparked huge protests of police brutality and treatment of Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) around the world.
It was also signed by Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Nas, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Normani, Steven Tyler, Papa Roach and more.
Protests took place around Australia over the weekend, with Sampa The Great offering a powerful performance of her tracks ‘Freedom’ and ‘Final Form’ at Melbourne’s rally which you can watch here.
For the full letter, and for the full list of signees, head here.
Photo: Getty Images
