Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 08:20:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Sean Fenley <satellitecrash-AT-yahoo.com> Subject: AUT: Cincinnati Convergence June 1-2 > > JUNE2 IN CINCINNATI: > NAT'L MARCH TO HIT RACIST POLICE KILLINGS > > By Leslie Feinberg > > A broad call has gone out for everyone outraged > by racist > police violence to march in the streets of > Cincinnati on > June 2. More than 200 people from dozens of > groups initiated > the call for a massive, militant national March > for Justice. > > The shooting of an unarmed teenager by a > Cincinnati police > officer on April 7 ignited the biggest rebellion > in the city > since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther > King Jr. Cops > arrested more than 800 people during the > uprising. > > The youth--Timothy Thomas--was the 15th Black > male killed by > Cincinnati police since 1995. And he was the > fourth African > American in just five months shot to death by > local cops. > > The call for a national March for Justice > focuses on three > demands: Stop police killings and the abuse of > police power, > end the police department's racist patterns and > practices, > and build social and economic justice. > > A major rally is also scheduled for June 1. > African > American, white and immigrant groups and > individuals have > met in Cincinnati in recent weeks to plan the > three-day > protest. More than 200 people from dozens of > groups have > taken part. > > Endorsing organizations as of May 4 include the > American > Federation of Government Employees Local 3840 > Executive > Committee, Concerned Citizens for Justice, > Coalition for a > Humane Economy (CHE) and Stand Up 4 Democracy. > > Black activists and the American Civil Liberties > Union > joined forces to sue the city in March. They > charged that > the police department had failed to halt 30 > years of police > harassment of African Americans, who make up 43 > percent of > Cincinnati's 331,000 residents. > > In the month since the rebellion, the City > Council had to > accept federal court-supervised mediation to > resolve the > lawsuit. The city's safety director and the city > manager > were forced to resign under criticism. > > 'SLAP ON THE WRIST' > > The cop who shot Timothy Thomas in cold blood > was indicted > by a Hamilton County grand jury on May 7. But > the panel > declined to indict officer Stephen Roach on > murder charges. > > Instead, he was charged with two misdemeanors: > negligent > homicide and obstructing official business. If > convicted of > both, Roach could face probation or at most a > maximum of > nine months in jail. > > Timothy Thomas' mother, Angela Leisure, told the > media, "I > feel it was a slap on the wrist. > "I don't feel like justice was served. I feel it > was not > severe enough for the severity of what he did. > He took a > life. Negligence--that doesn't cut it for me." > (The > Cincinnati Enquirer, May 8) > > Roach had been on paid leave since the slaying. > But after > the grand jury's ruling, the department > announced he would > be returned to desk duty. > > The city had widely announced that extra police > would be in > the streets to prevent any reaction to the grand > jury > decision. But this, and a sudden thunderstorm, > did not stop > the many protests. > > The Coalition for a Humane Economy held a > demonstration of > more than 200 on the steps of the courthouse in > the early > evening on April 7 against police brutality and > to demand > justice for Thomas' family. More than 150 > protesters marched > around the police headquarters the same day. > > As night fell, Cincinnati police recorded damage > to three > Main Street businesses and a police substation > in > Corryville. The rear window of a police cruiser > was smashed. > And someone attempted to burn the plywood used > to board up > windows at the Cincinnati Police Substation at > 220 E. > University. > > Windows were broken at three Main Street > businesses in Over- > the-Rhine--where Thomas was killed--and two > vacant > buildings. > > On April 8, a group of demonstrators chanted "No > justice? No > peace!" in Fountain Square, the center of the > city's > business district. > > The same day Mayor Charles Luken told a CBS news > broadcast, > "Suffice it to say that there may be a number of > flash > points out there over not only the next few > days, but over > the summer." > > To contact the March for Justice, call (513) > 588-8883. > > - END - > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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