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Statement by SEIU 721 President Bob Schoonover in Reaction to the Shooting of Jacob Blake

“In the aftermath of Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, many will call for calm. But I support those taking action. The people must demand that elected officials at every level across America root out racism from the ranks of law enforcement, not just with heartfelt words but with significant policy and personnel changes.

“We cannot deny how widespread this problem is. There are simply too many documented examples like Blake’s to cite. To truly come to terms with systemic racism, we must do more than talk about it. We must take action. There are many ways to do this. Some take action in the streets. Some flood their legislators with phone calls. And some take action by taking a knee or standing up for what’s right – like many of the players in the National Basketball Association, who are refusing to play and causing NBA game suspensions because they understand how important it is to take a public stand on this pivotal issue.

“Our union, SEIU 721, firmly believes that no one is above the law, that even law enforcement must be held accountable when the evidence demands it. Our union supports those who are demanding justice in Kenosha, Wisconsin and those demanding justice in Lafayette, Louisiana for Trayford Pellerin – as we support those who are demanding equal protection under the law throughout our nation.”