Minneapolis Bus Drivers Side With Protesters

As protests continue to sweep Minneapolis and St. Paul over the police killing of George Floyd, police have arrested a significant number of people.   Finding themselves out numbered by an enraged citizenry the police have attempted to get the Minneapolis Transit Authority to help them transport arrested protesters.  An increasing number of bus drivers however, in a show of solidarity with the people in the street, are refusing to haul arrested protesters for police.  

Similarly, some bus drivers have refused to transport police officers. 

A petition is being circulated among bus drivers and other labor unions in the Twin Cities that states: “We are willing to do what we can to ensure our labor is not used to help the Minneapolis Police Department shut down calls for justice.”

The bus driver’s union, Local 1005 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, has also issued a statement standing in solidarity with the protesters and calling for justice for George Floyd. 

Below is an excerpt from a statement that the ATU Local 1005 statement issued on May 28:

“A nightmare for millions of Black Americans was caught on video in south Minneapolis and now has been displayed across the globe, the execution of George Floyd by police.  Video posted by the Washington  Post confirmed that George Floyd did not resist arrest.  Yet a white cop put his knee across Floyd’s neck and slowly choked him to death.  He clearly repeats “I can’t breathe”, with the officer’s keen on his neck for nine minutes.  Other officers stood by while one murdered George Floyd over the report that someone in the area tried to use a fake $20 bill.

ATU members live with similar fears on a daily basis.  ATU members face racism daily.  Our members live in and work in the neighborhoods where actions like this happen, and where this took place, now watched in horror across the globe.

Police brutality is unacceptable!  This system has failed all of us in the working class from the Coronavirus to the economic crisis we are facing.  But this system has failed People of Color and Black Americans and Black youth more than anyone else.  More than ever we need a new Civil Rights movement.  A civil rights movement that is joined with the labor movement and independent of the corporate establishment’s political parties so all workers from every religion, race and sexual identity can struggle together for the a better future for People of Color and for our collective liberation as working people – for economic  justice, racial justice and the end to all oppression and hate in all its forms.”

We salute the Minneapolis bus drivers for their inspiring display of working class solidarity!  JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD!  AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

>> The article above was written by Adam Ritscher.