Dominic Fike calls for police defunding in powerful statement

09 June 2020, 12:02 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Dominic Fike)

BROCKHAMPTON collaborator Dominic Fike has shared a powerful statement on his own experience with police and racism, and calls for police defunding.

Yesterday (8 June), Dominic Fike shared a lengthy post on Instagram about his own experience with police and racism. He reveals in the post that he was "supposed to put out the first song from my debut album" last week, adding, "It doesn't feel right to release music today but it does feel right to continue this conversation."

Fike goes on to reveal that his "life has felt cursed since I was a little kid. I've watched police, the supposed good guys, beat my mom and take her away. I've had my brothers taken away. Aunts, uncles. Shit, my Dad just got 20. It's like they had a problem with my family."

He also reflects on his own experience with the police, which resulted in him being arrested for battery of an officer in 2016, and having to serve eight months in prison after violating his house arrest. He writes, "I tried to defuse a situation with the police, and my younger brother, I interfered, and the cop made up a story to fit his actions. The judge thought I was better off with this shit on my record. I'm lucky I could do music, since no one will ever hire me. I can't tour in the UK. I can't go to so many places, because of a decision this asshole made out of spite. None of these decisions were based on trying to help us, they wanted us to disappear."

Fike adds, "It's more than just a couple bad cops. Systemic racism and brute, abusive power are issues ingrained into this country, but things can change. Over the last couple weeks, we've seen a spark and we have to act on it. This is a time for us to stand strong and demand justice for the innocent black lives being taken from us - George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbery and all the names we'll never get to know."

He ends his post by calling for police to be defunded, "Our tax dollars are paying for unfocused, undisciplined over-policing instead of going towards the people they're supposed to be protecting. I'd love to see all these fucked up departments defunded", and reassures fans that he'll release music soon.