(KRON) — Community group Souljahs is planning a protest the Antioch Police Department Tuesday evening in the wake of the release of certain text conversations between officers about people there were investigating. The texts, described by police chief Steve Ford as “racially abhorrent,” included racial slurs and officers comparing Black people to animals such as gorillas and water buffalo, as well as homophobic and sexually explicit language.
There will be two events Tuesday evening: One starting at 4 p.m. to rally and protest and a second one at 5 p.m. to attend the special city council meeting and make demands both at City Hall at 200 H Street in Antioch, according to the event flyer.
The flyer said the “outrageous and ridiculous behaviors by some Antioch PD officers will not be tolerated” and that those officers are a “hazard to our communities” for “perpetuating violence on members of our communities.”
“We demand immediate termination of all officers involved,” the flyer reads.
Court documents name 14 officers in two separate reports. Officers also admitted to misconduct in the messages, making it clear in the texts that they would target Black people for criminal punishment.
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe spoke out against the allegations against the police officers at a contentious city council meeting on April 11 asking an attendee if they “want to go outside.”