Brutal Verdict

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Curtiss Leung wrote:
>> >From the salon.com story:
>> > But Giuliani's own personal growth soon gave way to
>> > a barely-concealed sense of vindication. While 150
>> > miles away in Albany the Rev. Al Sharpton was
>> > imploring that "not one brick or bottle be thrown,"
>> > the mayor took the occasion to lash out at "people
>> > who protest against the police, and blame them for
>> > every ill in society."
>>
>> "Not one brick or bottle be thrown"?  And this from
>> the same man who threatened a "Long hot summer" over
>> Tawana Brawley?  If there was ever a reason to employ
>> the "critique the the cobblestone," this would be it.
>> --
>> Curtiss
>
>He's a scumbag opportunist. What do you expect him to say?
>
>Is it resignation that is preventing folks from going out and torching
>cop cars?
>
>I hope this acquittal gets some folks in working class off the fence and
>into the streets. They need to take them back from the violent police.
>
><< Chuck0 >>

Today, from 1:30 PM to about 3:00 PM, we had a Free Mumia protest at the
Ohio State University.  About 150 people showed up, and we called for an
end to police brutality, Lockdown America, racial profiling, death penalty,
and so forth.  Ramona Africa was one of the speakers, and she made a fine
speech, highlighting the murder of Amadou Diallo & the verdict as glaring
examples of racism and the war on the poor.  Chanting "it was a wallet, it
wasn't a gun," "no justice, no peace, no racist police," etc., we took over
High Street, stopping traffic for 18 minutes.  Cops came over and arrested
one young white man, and folks marched down High Street to a downtown jail,
protesting the arrest.  The crowd was a good mix of black, white, and Asian
youths, with some older activists (like yours truly).  Cops videotaped us
as usual (and Copwatch counter-videotaped them), and I'm wondering if they
are planning to use the video this time to issue warrants and make arrests,
as they did in London, etc.

Yoshie