> > WW News Service Digest #48 > > 1) Thousands take the streets of New York: Protest acauittal of killer cops > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >This digest is sent to you because you are subscribed to ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To switch to the non-digest, standard mode, E-mail to ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Message-ID: <016401bf80ef$859c3810$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Thousands take the streets of New York: Protest acauittal of >killer cops >Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 00:06:41 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >------------------------- > >THOUSANDS TAKE THE STREETS OF NEW YORK >Protest acquittal of killer cops > >Special to Workers World > >[Following is a first-hand account of the demonstration that swept through the >streets of New York on Feb. 26. The account was written at about 8:30 p.m. as >the >protest was continuing. Among the almost 100 arrested were several members of >Workers World Party, including a managing editor of Workers World newspaper. >Today, thousands of people joined together in a demonstration to protest >against >the >Albany, N.Y., jury verdict acquitting four cops in the murder of Amadou Diallo >of the >Bronx. > >In a multinational demonstration called by People's Justice 2000, thousands >marched from 57th Street. & 5th Avenue through Manhattan. The mood was militant >and angry. > >At 42nd Street and other points throughout the march, police tried to break up >the >protest. The police kept pushing marchers back onto the sidewalk. >However, demonstrators kept marching and as of 8 tonight, 500 people are at >Astor >Place. > >Chants today included "No Justice, No Peace," >"1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15- >16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40- >41," [referring to the number of shots fired at Amadou Diallo], and "Whose >streets? >Our streets!" > >The May 7 Mumia Mobilization banner saying, "Justice for Amadou Diallo," was in >the >lead of the march. In front of St. Patricks Cathedral, 12 or so people were >arrested >when they laid down in the street in a civil disobedience action. > >Others were arrested around the 42nd Street area, when the fully-armored police >waded into the crowd and started grabbing leaders of the protest. The cops then >stole >the sound equipment being used by the protesters. Among those arrested at that >point were five people with the May 7 Mumia Mobilization contingent. > >As of this writing, all of those arrested--around 100 estimated-- are awaiting >processing at One Police Plaza. There are police in riot gear all around One >Police >Plaza and no one is being allowed in. > >The People's Justice 2000 includes the Audre Lorde Project, Center for >LGBSTPOC; >CAAAV; Organizing Asian Communities, Capitol District Justice for Diallo Comm., >Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Social Action, Fellowship of >Reconciliation, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Malcolm X Grassroots >Movement, National Action Network, National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights, >National People's Campaign, National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, >October >22 Coalition, Parents Against Police Brutality, Positive Workforce, Project >Reach, >SLAMl/USG Hunter, STRESS Magazine, and Youth Force. > >------------------- > >Statement from the International Action Center and the May 7 Mumia Mobilization >on the verdict: > >JUSTICE FOR DIALLO >Cops' acquittal = license to kill > >The International Action Center and May 7 Mumia Mobilization join with many >other >labor, community, religious and student groups in condemning in the strongest >possible terms the acquittal of four white New York cops in the brutal murder >of >Amadou Diallo, an African immigrant worker living in the Bronx. > >The IAC extends its profound solidarity and sympathy to the family of Mr. >Diallo. >Amadou Diallo's real, and only, "crime" was being Black in a city where white >cops >have now been granted a renewed license to kill people of color. > >The outcome of this case was manipulated by Mayor Giuliani and other city, >state >and >police officials. They moved the trial to Albany, a much whiter and more >conservative area, just as was done in the Rodney King trial in 1992. (The four >cops >who viciously beat Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991 had their trial moved to >a >predominantly white suburb, Simi Valley, and were acquitted, despite the >videotaped >evidence of their brutality.) > >The judge virtually directed the jury to acquit the NYPD cops in his >instructions and >the jury predictably carried out those instructions. > >The Diallo verdict is reminiscent of the infamous Dred Scott case. It says, in >effect, >that 'Black people have no rights -- not even the right to live -- that the >police are >bound to respect.' > >There can be no doubt that these four white cops would never have shot Amadou >Diallo once, let alone 19 times, if he had been white. What is needed now is >massive >and militant protest against this outrageously racist and anti-working class >verdict. >The verdict in Albany reaffirms the truth that we cannot achieve justice by >relying on >the courts, which are just another corrupt arm of a corrupt and racist system.. >Only >the struggle of the people can win justice for Amadou Diallo. > >---------------------------------- > >In related news, hundreds of people were at an event sponsored by the Rev. Al >Sharpton Feb. 26 in protest of the verdict, and another demonstration is >planned >at >the United Nation Feb. 27. We have received news of protests in Albany, >Baltimore, >Newark, N.J., and Atlanta as well. > >Readers can send reports of demonstrations in your area to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For >more information on protests being planned in New York City, contact the May 7 >Mumia Mobilization at 212-633-6646 or the International Action Center at >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and >distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is >not allowed. For more information contactWorkers World, 55 W. 17 >St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription >info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: >http://www.workers.org) > > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
