Dear Dot,

Last Saturday, South Carolina Police​ Officer Michael Slager shot Walter Scott eight times—killing him—and then immediately began the cover up.

Officer Slager moved evidence around and lied on the record about what actually happened.

If it weren’t for video footage released by the New York Times a few days later, he probably would’ve gotten away with it.

But since the release of the video Slager has both been fired and indicted with murder charges.
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Yesterday a donation drive was started on Indiegogo to raise money for Officer Slager in the aftermath of Walter Scott’s murder. So far five fundraising pages have been created and Indiegogo is refusing to take them down, which is outrageous.

Demand that Indiegogo remove these disturbing and hurtful fundraisers from their platform, which enable Officer Slager to profit from killing an unarmed Black man.

Indiegogo is defending the fundraising drive by using language that we’re all too familiar with.

The company is claiming that they’re an “open” platform and that they "don’t judge the content of campaigns."
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But we know that there is no such thing as a neutral technology platform.  

By allowing a fundraising drive in support of a killer cop who lied to avoid charges, Indiegogo is taking a stand. Instead of standing on the side of justice and decency, they’re standing with those who fail to acknowledge the policing crisis Black and brown people face in America.

Walter Scott’s horrific death doesn’t stand alone.

In the past 5 years South Carolina police have fired their weapons at 209 people and not one officer has been convicted.

This is a harrowing statistic.

That’s why ColorOfChange members in North Charleston and across the country are rising up to demand an end to discriminatory police violence.

With our nation paying more attention to policing than it has in years, now is the time to hold Indiegogo accountable.

They must do what's right and put an end to campaigns that endorse anti-Black police violence.

Last year we launched a campaign targeting GoFundMe after they made a similar argument about being a “neutral technology platform.”

GoFundMe failed to take down a fundraising drive in support of Darren Wilson, which raised over $430,000 and which the company profited from.

But after 130K ColorOfChange members spoke up--and after a couple months of consistent pressure--GoFundMe donated these profits to the Ferguson-Florissant school district.

Months later we know that GoFundMe remembers our campaign.

When a similar Michael Slager fundraiser was started on their platform this week, GoFundMe took it down immediately. This is the power of collective action. When we act together, we win.

These kinds of fundraising drives on the most popular platforms cannot be allowed to stand.

They send the exact wrong​ ​kind of message.

That you will be supported and even celebrated in the aftermath of taking Black lives.

​We must put an end to them once and for all.

Thanks and peace,
—Arisha, Rashad, Matt, and Bhavik
   for the ColorOfChange team