Support The Indigenous People's Day Five

District Attorney Lori Frugoli:

We strongly urge you to drop all charges against the Indigenous Peoples Day 5. By doing so you will be acting in integrity with the progressive values you have committed to uphold.

The Greater Bay Area has a long-standing history of activism and civil disobedience that we embody with pride and humility. We believe that the legacy of the Bay Area is exactly this: active civic engagement with the issues that matter most to our communities. We want to believe that this is a place where justice can thrive, not wither under repressive leadership.

The targeting of Indigenous women and Two Spirited people is not only out of alignment with the principles you profess to espouse, it is a continuation of the legacy of anti-Indigenous violence that persists to this day. By continuing to press these charges, you are sending a message that prosecuting Indigenous community members is the best use of the resources of your office. By charging only Indigenous people, you are aligning yourself with the dangerous trend toward repression of BIPOC activists and those speaking up against violent, genocidal figures such as Junipero Serra.

Your office recently hosted a webinar on “Responding to hate crimes, racism and anti-semitism in Marin” and it seems completely incongruous that you would be continuing to prosecute this group of all-Indigenous community members who were singled out during a demonstration against racism and colonialism. This is the moment to take a stance in support of recognizing that the removal of this statue was in and of itself a response to the brutal and racist violence that is central to Junipero Serra’s legacy.

We are writing to urge you to act in accordance with your own stated values, those of standing against racism in Marin, and drop the charges now against the Indigenous Peoples Day 5.

Sincerely,

The Indigenous Peoples Day 5 Solidarity Coalition and the following undersigned supporters