(AllHipHop News) New York has become one of the epicenters for the ongoing protests for equal justice and police accountability sparked by a Staten Island grand jury’s decision to not indict a police officer for the death of Eric Garner. Two of NY’s biggest Hip Hop representatives have now stepped up to lobby New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo to reform the state’s criminal justice system.
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Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and Russell Simmons met with Gov. Cuomo on Wednesday. The governor’s office described the meeting as “a productive conversation” that included a discussion about assigning special prosecutors to handle criminal cases involving police officers. Many observers have criticized the idea of regular state prosecutors investigating the police, because the district attorney’s office and the local police departments work so closely together.
Jay Z met with NY Gov Cuomo yesterday to discuss changes to criminal justice system. #ICantBreathe #ThisStopsToday pic.twitter.com/DnZPMA4hZi
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) December 11, 2014
Simmons was also joined by Chicago rapper Common at the #BlackLivesMatter rally in NYC. The protest event took place in front of City Hall. Organizers demanded changes to police practices and the prosecution of cops that commit crimes.
“I’m very excited about what the governor said,” said Simmons during the rally. “I’m going to hold him to it. I have a lot of faith in him. If he said he’s going to issue an executive order, we can certainly count on it, but we’ll make sure it happens.”
I am a proud supporter of the demands from the @NYjusticeleague. They were created by remarkable young organizers: pic.twitter.com/OZF4yvSZmn
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) December 10, 2014
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