International Day against Police Brutality

INTERPARTY COOPERATION (IPC)
ACTIVISTS FOR CHANGE (A4C) AND VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY (VPB)
COMMEMORATE

Kampala March 20, 2012

Press Statement

The International Day Against Police Brutality falls on March 15. It
first began in 1997 as an initiative of the “Montreal Collective
Opposed to Police Brutality” and the “Black Flag group” in
Switzerland. The date was initially chosen for convenience (March 15
1997 fell on a Saturday), although since the year 2000, it has often
been linked to an alleged incident in which two children, aged 11 and
12, were beaten to death by the Swiss police.

This day of denouncing police brutality is also an opportunity to form
and strengthen ties between groups that work directly or indirectly
against this State brutality throughout the world. It helps to create
an indispensable international solidarity that opposes police forces
that collaborate worldwide and are extremely well organized. In some
democratic civilized countries the Police participates in the day’s
activities to underscore their commitment to ending police brutality
within their ranks. This is because brutality against un - armed
civilians constitutes an offence and is subject to disciplinary
action.

It is a recorded fact that worldwide, the police spy, harass,
imprison, torture, and kill. Their primary victims are the
“undesirables” of society: especially the poor, the homeless, the
marginalized, immigrants, people of colour (in Western Countries), sex
workers, opposition activists, cause activists, student activists, and
unionized workers.

Police brutality in Uganda is a well documented phenomenon, and Uganda
Police Force tops the list of Human Rights abusers in the country,
followed by the UPDF. The major problem has been and is consistent
abuses by the Uganda Police Force, particularly using excessive force
in the face of demonstrations and sometimes lethal force.
According to the Uganda Human Rights Commission annual report released