------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the July 15, 2004 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
L.A. COMMUNITIES UNITE AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY By Chuck Anderson Los Angeles Responding to incidents of police terror and brutality, the International Act ion Center, along with labor leaders, local clergy, anti-war and immigrant rights acti vists, held a press conference/ public rally on July 1 in front of the LAPD Parker Com mand Center in solidarity with the African American and Latino communities. On June 13th, Stanley Miller, a 36-year-old Black man, had been beaten in a life-threatening manner by the LAPD. News helicopters filmed the beating. John Hatfield, a seven-year police veteran, was seen kicking Miller in the head after he had surrendered and was on his knees, being held down by numerous other officers. Hatfield landed 11 potentially fatal blows with a metal flashlight to Miller's body and possibly his head. As many at the press conference stated, this was not an isolated incident of police brutality. Days earlier, an unarmed young man on foot was accosted by police in the community of Bell and shot to death. The officer's story was that the suspect kicked the gun out of his hand, picked it up and pointed it at him, so the cop killed him with a back-up gun. There were no witnesses. Speakers at the press conference included Linda Hinton from Parents Against Lynching; Rev. Richard Byrd from KRST Unity Center for African Spirit uality; Mollie Bell, layperson at Faith United Methodist Church; and John Parker and Adrian Garcia representing the International Action Center. Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, formerly New York's top cop under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has brought a new wave of racist brutality against innocent victims to this city. People are reminded of the fatal choking of young Latino Anthony Baez and the killing of unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo, who was shot 41 times by New York undercover cops. Bratton has recently made racist comments, calling a Black community leader a "nitwit" and referring to African Amer ican youth as "tribal thugs and terrorists." The International Action Center has called on all progressive organizations to demand an end to police terror with an emergency demonstration on July 10 at l:00 p.m. The march and rally, starting at 108th & Main at the Southeast Precincts, will demand justice for Stanley Miller. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe wwnews- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
