The People’s Revolution, also referred to as the People’s Revolution Milwaukee (TPR-MKE), is a left-of-center community group that supports the Black Lives Matter movement and advocates for defunding the police. ¹ The People’s Revolution advocates for cutting police department budgets in favor of community oversight, increased welfare spending, and favors the use of police body cameras, a ban on sharing military equipment with police officers, and ending qualified immunity. ²

Background

People’s Revolution Milwaukee was created in 2020 by community activists in response to the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ³ TPR-MKE gained publicity after news outlets reported that the organization had protested the death of George Floyd every day for at least a year since its founding. ⁴

Positions

People’s Revolution Milwaukee’s website lists seven demands. ⁵ They include defunding or reducing funding for policing, reallocating police funding to welfare spending, and substituting community oversight initiatives for policing. ⁶

In addition to demands relating to defunding the police, TPR-MKE seeks various policy changes that  police conduct. ⁷ These demands include and stripping police departments of military equipment, ending or limiting qualified immunity for police officers making them personally liable for civil rights violations made in the line of duty, establishing ongoing mental health assessments for police officers, banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requiring body cameras, requiring de-escalation as the default position for police officers when confronted with violence, and requiring that all police officers hold a four-year degree from an accredited college in criminal justice, political science, sociology, Africology, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies or Latino Studies. ⁸

Leadership

People’s Revolution Milwaukee’s does not have a centralized organizational structure, but Mariah Smith is a well-known organizer for TPR-MKE. ⁹ Smith hosted a GoFundMe fundraiser for TPR-MKE to join the August 28, 2020 Commitment March, ¹⁰ a nationwide protest in Washington, D.C. designed to coincide with the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. ¹¹ Various Democratic Party politicians attended the march, including then Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris. ¹²

1. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
2. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
3. Rovito, Rich. “They’ve Been Protesting for a Year. What Now?” Milwaukee Magazine. June 2, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.milwaukeemag.com/theyve-been-protesting-for-a-year-what-now/
4. Rovito, Rich. “They’ve Been Protesting for a Year. What Now?” Milwaukee Magazine. June 2, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.milwaukeemag.com/theyve-been-protesting-for-a-year-what-now/
5. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
6. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
7. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
8. “Demands.” The People’s Revolution. https://www.tpr-mke.com/the-peoples-demands
9. Rovito, Rich. “They’ve Been Protesting for a Year. What Now?” Milwaukee Magazine. June 2, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.milwaukeemag.com/theyve-been-protesting-for-a-year-what-now/
10. “The Peoples Revolution goes to DC.” GoFundMe. June 26, 2020. https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-movement-goes-to-dc
11. “The Peoples Revolution goes to DC.” GoFundMe. June 26, 2020. https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-movement-goes-to-dc
12. Janes, Chelsea. “Biden campaign deploys Harris as ambassador to Black activists.” Washington Post. September 2, 2020. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-campaign-deploys-harris-as-ambassador-to-black-activists/2020/09/02/bf1a6552-ec68-11ea-ab4e-581edb849379_story.html