The Workers Circle Responds to Passage of an FY21 City Budget that Fails to Defund the NYPD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-8449
Karin Venegas, Karin@anatgerstein.com, 347-361-7049
The Workers Circle Responds to Passage of an FY21 City Budget that Fails to Defund the NYPD
(New York, NY) – The Workers Circle is a progressive, Jewish nonprofit focused on social and economic justice for all. Ann Toback, Chief Executive Officer, has released the following statement on behalf of the organization:
“The Workers Circle is proud to be a part of the coalition of more than 200 organizations that demanded the New York City Council cut at least $1 billion from the NYPD’s budget to be reinvested in services, programs, and infrastructure that directly benefit Black, Latinx and other communities of color.
Our organization signed onto the #NYCBudgetJustice Campaign following the murder of George Floyd and as a part of the massive, moral uprising in defense of Black lives. We believed it was imperative for us to join in this concrete effort to fund a new vision of public safety that respects communities of color who have been harmed, criminalized, and denied fundamental resources for far too long.
The #DefundNYPD for #NYCBudgetJustice campaign and occupation outside City Hall achieved widespread public recognition that piecemeal reforms in policing and spare-change allocations of funding for social services are immoral responses to the suffering and death inflicted on Black and brown communities. This campaign drew unprecedented support from an increasing number of New Yorkers, who, like us, are committed to achieving true and lasting public safety for everyone.
This week, our City officials had an opportunity to address systemic inequities in the FY21 budget but instead shuffled money around to give only the appearance of change.
This is a profound failure. But it is not the end.
There is a growing commitment by people all across the city for this new blueprint for public safety to be implemented – one that was drawn by the people and communities whose lives have been brutally over-policed and discounted for far too long.
Our elected officials should listen and end the over-funding of a police structure that is causing harm and failing the very people they are charged to protect.”
About the Workers Circle
Founded in 1900 and celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2020, the Workers Circle (formerly known as the Workmen’s Circle) is a social justice organization that powers progressive Jewish identity through Jewish cultural engagement, Yiddish language learning, multigenerational education, and social justice activism. For over a century we have provided this 360-degree approach to Jewish identity-building. Through contemporary cultural programs, strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, interactive educational experiences and more, we connect Jewish adults, kids and families of all affiliations with their cultural heritage, working to build a better and more beautiful world for all.