NO JUSTICE! NO PEACE! FREE THE JENA 6! Eyewitness reports, Jena, LA., Sept. 20
By Gloria Rubac
A militant, dignified and powerful sea of mostly African Americans filled almost every street in the small rural town of Jena, La., today to let the world know that Jim Crow injustice is not going to be tolerated any longer.
With chants of “Enough is enough--Free the Jena Six” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police!” throngs of people protested in front of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse, on the lawn of the Jena High School, in a large city park and on many city streets.
They came from all over the United States, mostly from every single Southern state, by train, plane, bus, motorcycle and car, to support the Jena Six.
Dozens of historically Black colleges and universities had delegations, including Texas Southern University, Prairie View A & M University, Paul Quinn College, Dillard University, Spelman College, Grambling State University, Jackson State University, North Carolina Central University and Southern University.
Of the buses from Houston and surrounding areas, two were from Prairie View, three were from Texas Southern, and three had working people, students, youth and elders. Hundreds from Dallas caravanned with their churches, universities or groups of friends.
Many in Jena had never marched before but came with their school. Many others were working people who had taken a day off; a large number of them had participated in the 1960s civil rights marches and protests.
Some groups of families and elders sat in portable, lightweight chairs in groups of 10 to 25, talking about the Jena Six, eating homemade picnic lunches, and reminiscing about the struggles that brought about the victories of the civil rights movement. They eagerly accepted literature and signed petitions.
A large delegation from North Carolina Central University Law School sat together in maroon law school shirts, taking in all the activities with wide eyes. One young woman commented, “I thought this only happened in history books. And here I am!”
A middle-class Black family sat together in lawn chairs with a big sign that read “No justice, no peace—OKC” and had a large peace sign in the middle. When asked if the “OKC” meant Oklahoma City, they proudly said that they had driven all night from there to be a part of history and take a stand in support of the Jena Six.
Working Black ranchers from rural Florida attended. They said to tell everyone that Black ranchers were represented in Jena and emphasized that they not only owned their ranches but also worked them every day.
Folks from all over Louisiana attended, from big cities like Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lake Charles to small towns like Broussard, New Iberia, Bunkie, Wilson, Houma, Crowley and Opelousous.
Traditional civil rights organizations were well represented. Large groups carried NAACP signs from many cities. The SCLC also had hundreds of signs.
There were also members of the New Black Panther Party, the Millions More Movement, the National Black United Front, and many other activist and militant organizations.
People on top of a large white RV owned by Robert Clark of Monroe, La. spoke to the crowds all morning. A man recited Martin Luther King’s speech on Vietnam as well as his “I Have a Dream” speech from the 1963 march on Washington.
Supporters donated bail money all day for Mychal Bell, one of the Jena Six. Over $18,000 was collected in donations of $5, $10, $20 and $100. The crowd on that block cheered every time someone put a bill in the box. Clark gave their names and home city. When it was announced that over $18,000 had been raised and that they would try to bail out Mychal Bell that afternoon, the crowd went wild.
Because every street in Jena has only two small lanes, and because the courthouse rally had an inadequate sound system for such a huge crowd, each block began its own impromptu rallies, street meetings, drumming, second line dancing, picnics, reunions, conga lines and marches.
The mood of the crowd was very serious, militant and determined. Many conveyed the feeling that they knew the whole world was watching Jena and so they were careful to maintain discipline while being excited, angry and focused. Participants picked up every scrap of paper and every empty water bottle off lawns and streets.
Taking photos and videos was the order of the day. At the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement table, several people asked that the banner be held straighter as they snapped the shutter so folks at home could see who was there in Jena.
Two men from Mobile, Ala., held a big white banner. They asked people to sign it so they could send it to the Jena Six families. It read, “Free the Jena Six—Mobile, Alabama.” Hundreds of people signed with their names and hometowns.
At least a dozen different Jena Six tee shirts were being sold. Many organizations had come wearing their own originally designed shirts. Others sold shirts on the street. Some tee shirts depicted the virulent racism in Jena, by showing nooses or "The White Tree,” and some had quotes by noted civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Over 90 percent of the crowd wore black, as requested by organizers.
Some sympathetic whites in Jena waved to the buses while sitting in their yards. One elderly man gave two thumbs up to the crowd and told them,” Thanks for coming!"
Despite the 90-degree heat and not a cloud in the sky, people were focused and unity was the theme. Everyone agreed that each state has its own Jena, that it isn’t just Louisiana. And all left with a determination to continue the fight, not only for the Jena Six but for justice, when they get back to their homes.
Gloria Rubac is from Houston where she is an organizer with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.
There is probably no way to determine the exact number of people who filled the streets of Jena, La., for more than 12 hours today.
It was both a work and a school day in this small town in rural Louisiana, far from any major population center and accessible mainly by a two-lane road. Yet, from dawn until dusk, the scene in downtown Jena was one of an ever-flowing crowd of people wearing black tee shirts--people of all ages but of one mind: to demand justice now for six African-American teen-agers whose prosecution for a schoolyard fight with a white classmate illuminates the racial disparities endemic to the U.S. justice system.
It is clear to all that many, many thousands gathered in Jena. Was it 100,000, as some say? For sure, tens of thousands came representing hundreds of thousands; came demanding justice for the millions of African-American people throughout the country who suffer daily from racial discrimination, national oppression and racist profiling.
When millions of immigrants demonstrated on May 1, one year ago, to demand dignity and human rights, the corporate media, as usual, was oblivious to the massive mobilizations taking place in communities of color. Jena is no exception.
Arrogant in their ability to define what is news and smugly confident that people have been rendered incapable of acting in their own interests, the major television networks and newspapers scrambled to catch up with these historic actions.
A vital element is the role of the radio talk show hosts whose programs aired the issues concerning the community.
Michael Baisden, Tom Joyner and other nationally syndicated radio personalities played a major role in alerting Black communities across the country to the situation that was unfolding in Jena.
Many youth, especially on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities, became educated about the case through the Internet. Blogs aroused students to mount demonstrations and rallies and teach-ins on their campuses as schools came into session this fall. The Color Of Change activists harnessed this technology to blast the case all over cyberspace.
The support of Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, Rev. Jesse Jackson, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Nation of Islam, the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other national organizations and famous personalities were important in bringing the case to light and persisting, despite the lack of interest by the corporate media.
The grass-roots character of many of the organizers showed everywhere. Those who chartered and filled hundreds of buses were first-time demonstrators from colleges and universities; union members from Detroit's auto plants and Teamsters from Atlanta; church women, Black business people; parents; and neighborhood activists mostly from towns and cities across the South but also from the Northeast, Midwest, Southwest and West Coast.
Carloads of families and friends drove for hours, bringing children so they could be part of “making history."
Grey-haired seniors who had experienced the terror of Klan night-riders and lynchings during the 1960s; residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who have survived criminal neglect and injury by the government during Katrina and Rita; mothers and fathers who can never escape worrying about whether their children will be victims of police brutality, all melded together in the courthouse square, in parks where parallel rallies were taking place, and along the streets in front of shuttered businesses.
The slogans on two of the most common signs explain why the protest defied all expectations: "Enough is enough" and "We are the Jena 6."
Distrust of the justice system, the presence of inequality every day decades after the passage of civil rights legislation, the ever-looming possible loss of employment, housing, healthcare and education, and the weight of endless war and occupation caused an eruption from below.
It was a remarkable day, not just in Jena but everywhere else that people rallied and marched in solidarity, wore black to work or school, and talked about organizing to make a change. Dianne Mathiowetz is a leader of the Atlanta chapter of the International Action Center.
September 20: Protest Racism in Jena - Free the Jena 6!
September 20: Protest Racism in Jena - Free the Jena 6!
On September 20th, Mychal Bell--the first of the Jena 6 to be convicted--is scheduled for sentencing. If the District Attorney has his way, Mychal will face 22 years in prison. It's a horrifying moment for Mychal, his parents, and the rest of the Jena 6 families. It's also a perfect time for those who can to come to Jena, in person, and stand with them.
Background: Last fall, when two Black high school students sat under the "white" tree on their campus, white students responded by hanging nooses from the tree. When Black students protested the light punishment for the students who hung the nooses, District Attorney Reed Walters came to the school and told the students he could "take [their] lives away with a stroke of [his] pen."
Racial tension continued to mount in Jena, and the District Attorney did nothing in response to several egregious cases of violence and threats against black students. But when a white student--who had been a vocal supporter of the students who hung the nooses--taunted a black student, allegedly called several black students "nigger", and was beaten up by black students, six black students were charged with second-degree attempted murder. Last month, the first young man to be tried, Mychal Bell, was convicted. Later this month, he will be sentenced to up to 22 years in prison for a school fight.
The Call to Action:
On September 20th, Mychal Bell--the first of the Jena 6 to be convicted--is scheduled for sentencing. If the District Attorney has his way, Mychal will face 22 years in prison. It's a horrifying moment for Mychal, his parents, and the rest of the Jena 6 families. It's also a perfect time for those who can to come to Jena, in person, and stand with them. We know it's a serious time and financial commitment, but we wanted to give you the opportunity to join the hundreds of people who have already emailed us to say that they will come. If you can join us, please click on the link below to RSVP:
Our presence in Jena--in large numbers--will help focus media attention on the situation in Jena, escalate pressure on Louisiana public officials, and most importantly, show the families of the Jena 6, especially Mychal Bell and his parents, that we will stand with them in the face of this injustice.
On July 31st, with only a few days to prepare, 300 people from across the country rallied at the Jena Courthouse. We delivered a petition signed by 43,000 ColorOfChange.org members to the District Attorney demanding that he drop the charges against the Jena 6. It was a powerful day that made it clear that the Jena 6 and their families won't have to fight on their own. Since then, more than 100,000 people have taken action and contacted the Governor, media attention to the case has grown, and we have an even bigger opportunity to make a profound impact.
As we plan for this event, we want to get a sense of how many people can commit to coming to Jena. Below are some details about getting there, so you can figure out if you'll be able to join us.
Details
If you're flying to Louisiana, the closest airports to Jena are Alexandria (45 minute drive) and Monroe (1.5 hour drive). You can also fly to Lafayette (2.25 hour drive), Shreveport (2.75 hour drive), Baton Rouge (3 hour drive), New Orleans ( 4.25 hour drive), or Houston (about a 5 hour drive). The closest hotels are in Pineville and Alexandria. As they fill up, we'd recommend staying at hotels near the airports above.
If travelling from out of town, you'll want to get to Louisiana the night before, as things will start early in the morning, probably by 8am or 9am. Organizers will meet you when you arrive at a central location in Jena and get you situated for the day. We will be providing maps, organizers' cell phone numbers, and other information closer to the day-of; you will be able to reach someone in case you have any problems, need directions, or have questions along the way.
RSVP
Once you're confident you can come, please RSVP at the following:
If you can't come, don't worry. We'll be sending emails soon with more ways to take action between now and the 20th. Whatever your participation, we thank you for your ongoing commitment to justice for the Jena 6. It continues to be our privilege to be part of such a powerful community of support for these young men.
All Out for Mumia Abu-Jamal! Join Danny Glover, Cynthia McKinney and many others in Philadelphia!
All Out for Mumia Abu-Jamal! Join Danny Glover, Cynthia McKinney and many others in Philadelphia!
Thurs • May 17 9:00 a.m. in front of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 6th and Market Streets
“The goal is for our client to be free. Nevertheless, he remains in great danger. If all is lost, he will be executed. Your interest in this struggle for human rights and against the death penalty is appreciated.” —Robert R. Bryan Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal
NYC Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, International Action Center and FIST-Fight Imperialism, Stand Together youth group will be organizing buses to Philadelphia.
Buses will be leaving from 33rd St. and 8th Ave. at 5:30am and in front of 55 W. 17th St. at 6a.m. For bus tickets, call 212-633-6646. Go to www.millions4mumia.org to download May 17 literature.
Here are some facts:
* The oral argument in the case of death row, political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal, is scheduled on May 17, 9:30 am, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Ceremonial Courtroom, 1st Floor, U.S. Courthouse, 6th and Market Streets. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the National Lawyers Guild, which have filed amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs, are also participating.
* This case concerns Mr. Abu-Jamal’s right to a fair trial, the struggle against the death penalty, and the political repression of an outspoken journalist. Racism and politics are threads that have run through this case since his 1981 arrest. The complex issues under consideration, which are of great constitutional significance, include:
* Whether Mr. Abu-Jamal was denied the right to due process of law and a fair trial under the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments because of the prosecutor’s “appeal-after- appeal” argument which encouraged the jury to disregard the presumption of innocence and reasonable doubt, and err on the side of guilt.
* Whether the prosecution’s use of peremptory challenges to exclude African Americans from sitting on the jury violated Mr. Abu-Jamal’s rights to due process and equal protection of the law under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, and contravened Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986).
* Whether the jury instructions and verdict form that resulted in the death penalty deprived Mr. Abu-Jamal of rights guaranteed by the Eight and Fourteenth Amendments to due process of law, equal protection of the law, and not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, and violated Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367 (1988), since the judge precluded the jurors from considering any mitigating evidence unless they all agreed on the existence of a particular circumstance.
* Whether Mr. Abu-Jamal was denied due process and equal protection of the law under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments during post-conviction hearings as the result of the bias and racism of Judge Albert F. Sabo, which included the comment that he was “going to help ‘em fry the ni - - er”.
Mumia has always fought for people’s rights! A united, broad movement can save Mumia from a legal lynching! Free Mumia, Leonard Peltier, the Cuban 5, the MOVE 9 & all political prisoners!
On the 25th Anniversary of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Arrest
"We couldn't save Malcolm, but we can save Mumia" - Assata Shakur, 1995
On the 25th Anniversary of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Arrest
Be in Philadelphia Sat., Dec. 9 11:30 am Gather at City Hall 12 pm March to AFSC @15th & Cherry St. for rally
Bring your banners, placards & noisemakers on Dec. 9
Speakers: * Pam Africa * Nana Soul (Representing Lynne Stewart) * Ward Churchill * Attorney Michael Coard * Brother Rob, Wurd 900, Community Activist Workshops during the second part of the program will focus on: campus organizing, media, culture, art and more
* Mumia's legal appeal, which proves that he did not get a fair trial, is being reviewed before the highest court under the U.S. Supreme Court; Oral arguments will be held in the next few months. * The City Council of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania Senate and Assembly passed resolutions this past May insisting that France withdraw the naming of a street after Mumia, and that Mumia no longer has any right to appeal, in direct contradiction of his being granted the right to do so before the Third circuit Court of Appeals. * Remember the executions of Shaka Sankofa, Stanley Tookie Williams, Hasan Shakur, Frances Newton and others. Let's act now to organize to save Mumia's life before it is too late. 24 years on death row is an injustice * Mumia is a national and international leader in the fight against war, racism and all forms of repression and exploitation. A serious threat on Mumia's life is a serious attack on all of our struggles.
Endorsers include: International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, NY Free Mumia Coalition, Harlem Tenants Council, International Action Center, Patrice Lumumba Coalition, IFCO/Pastors for Peace, Iglesia San Romero/UCC, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, FIST - Fight Imperialism, Stand Together-youth group and others
For more information on the march and rally, leaflets & posters in Philadelphia: call ICFFMAJ at 215-476-8812. For leaflets/posters and NY bus information: Call NYFMC hotline at 212-330-8029 or go to freemumia.com. Call IAC at 212-633-6646 or go to millions4mumia.org. NYC bus will leave the IAC, 55 W. 17 St. at 8:30 am and the main Post Office, 8th Ave. & 32nd St. at 9 am for Phila. Bus will leave Phila. by 3:30pm
After the important March & Rally in Philadelphia to Demand Freedom for Mumia-- Join Lynne Stewart & the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee in THANKING YOU ! for your support over these last 4+ years and uniting for the struggle ahead
Ode to Joy & Struggle Saturday, Dec. 9th 7 pm till ....... Judson Memorial Church 55 Washington Square South New York City
Speakers include: Lynne Stewart Pam Africa--International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal Robert Meeropol, Executive Director, Rosenberg Fund for Children
Cultural performances by: * Selah Eric Spruiell & The Fort Greene Project * Urbano Sanchez, Latin Jazz * Professor Louie & Fast Eddy * Professor Irwin Corey & Randy Credico and MUCH more (comedy, Latin jazz, rap)
Judson Memorial Church resides on the southern edge of Washington Square Park between Thompson & Sullivan Sts. Accessible by subway from the 8th St. / NYU N and R stop, the West 4th St. A, C, E, F and V stop or the Christopher St. / Sheridan Square 1, 2, and 9 stop.
Mobility Handicapped please enter through Thompson Street entrance.
Lynne Stewart Defense Committee 350 Broadway, Suite 700 New York, NY 10013
The International Action Center encourages everyone to come out Wednesday for this emergency protest, called by the December 12th Movement:
NYC Police Are Out Of Control!
City-Wide Demonstration [at] NYPD Headquarters One Police Plaza, Downtown NYC, Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 4:30pm
New York - The November 25th NYPD 50 bullet fusillade, resulting in the murder of unarmed Sean Bell, underscores the urgent need for a fundamental change in the NYC police department. The New York City Police Department has escalated its aggression toward the Black community across the city. Community leaders are mobilizing a grassroots resistance movement to demand Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly rein in their rabid police force.
"Petty incidents like sitting on your front porch; or drinking an open beer or playing your music too loud in your yard at a family barbeque are treated like acts of terrorism. Swarms of police descend on the hapless victim and the situation quickly escalates to police brutality, false arrests and imprisonment," said Kamau Brown of Bedford Stuyvesant. "It`s happening all over the city. We have to back them up and the only way we can is to mobilize and organize against it together. One by one we can`t win, but together we can."
The December 12th Movement, a human rights organization, will lead a protest rally to "Resist Fascism and the Rise of the American Police State," on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 4:30pm at NYPD Headquarters - One Police Plaza, Downtown NYC. Community activists, elected officials, and grassroots community residents will speak out about what is happening `on the ground` in the domestic war zone.
The issues on the agenda include the police profiling of Black youth; NYPD / Homeland Security occupation of the Black community; police aggression, harassment and overkill, as well as President Bush's assault on Habeas Corpus; the erosion of civil rights; and Iraq war for oil.
for more information: 718-398-1766
Also --don't miss these important upcoming events:
TUES, Dec 5 Troops OUT Now Coalition meeting at 7 pm at 55 West 17th St, 5th Floor
THUR, Dec 7 at 9 am at Foley Square and 10 am - fill the court room for Leonard Peltier - Demand the release of FBI documents.
SAT, Dec 9 On the 25th Anniversary of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Arrest . 11:30 am Gather at Philadelphia City Hall - 12 pm March to AFSC @15th & Cherry St. For bus info call 212-633-6646 (bus will return in time for Lynne Stewart event - see below).
SAT, Dec 9 Ode to Joy & Struggle 7 pm till ....... Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South , New York City, Speakers include: Lynne Stewart, Pam Africa--International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Robert Meeropol, Executive Director, Rosenberg Fund for Children
HELP on the BIG End-of-the-year Mailing at the IAC EVERY DAY from 2 to 7 pm this week. This is a Holiday Party with food, music and great political discussion
AND on DECEMBER 31 - Join us for the IAC's NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY
The NYPD is out of controll - protest the police murder of Sean Bell
The International Action Center encourages everyone to come out Wednesday for this emergency protest, called by the December 12th Movement:
NYC Police Are Out Of Control!
City-Wide Demonstration [at] NYPD Headquarters One Police Plaza, Downtown NYC, Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 4:30pm
New York - The November 25th NYPD 50 bullet fusillade, resulting in the murder of unarmed Sean Bell, underscores the urgent need for a fundamental change in the NYC police department. The New York City Police Department has escalated its aggression toward the Black community across the city. Community leaders are mobilizing a grassroots resistance movement to demand Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly rein in their rabid police force.
"Petty incidents like sitting on your front porch; or drinking an open beer or playing your music too loud in your yard at a family barbeque are treated like acts of terrorism. Swarms of police descend on the hapless victim and the situation quickly escalates to police brutality, false arrests and imprisonment," said Kamau Brown of Bedford Stuyvesant. "It`s happening all over the city. We have to back them up and the only way we can is to mobilize and organize against it together. One by one we can`t win, but together we can."
The December 12th Movement, a human rights organization, will lead a protest rally to "Resist Fascism and the Rise of the American Police State," on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 4:30pm at NYPD Headquarters - One Police Plaza, Downtown NYC. Community activists, elected officials, and grassroots community residents will speak out about what is happening `on the ground` in the domestic war zone.
The issues on the agenda include the police profiling of Black youth; NYPD / Homeland Security occupation of the Black community; police aggression, harassment and overkill, as well as President Bush's assault on Habeas Corpus; the erosion of civil rights; and Iraq war for oil.
for more information: 718-398-1766
Also --don't miss these important upcoming events: TUES, Dec 5 Troops OUT Now Coalition meeting at 7 pm at 55 West 17th St, 5th Floor
THUR, Dec 7 at 9 am at Foley Square and 10 am - fill the court room for Leonard Peltier - Demand the release of FBI documents.
SAT, Dec 9 On the 25th Anniversary of Mumia Abu-Jamal's Arrest . 11:30 am Gather at Philadelphia City Hall - 12 pm March to AFSC @15th & Cherry St. For bus info call 212-633-6646 (bus will return in time for Lynne Stewart event - see below).
SAT, Dec 9 Ode to Joy & Struggle 7 pm till ....... Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South , New York City, Speakers include: Lynne Stewart, Pam Africa--International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Robert Meeropol, Executive Director, Rosenberg Fund for Children
HELP on the BIG End-of-the-year Mailing at the IAC EVERY DAY from 2 to 7 pm this week. This is a Holiday Party with food, music and great political discussion
AND on DECEMBER 31 - Join us for the IAC's NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY
Summit maps out strategy opposing U.S. wars at home, abroad
A significant anti-war summit meeting took place Nov. 18 in the heart of "Little Senegal" in Harlem. The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) sponsored the event at the spacious Africa Kine Restaurant located on 116th Street near Frederick Douglass Blvd.
Anti-war, community, labor activists meet in 'Little Senegal' in Harlem, New York Nov.18.
The turnout was standing room only. An estimated 150 organizers and activists-representing more than 50 different antiwar, community, immigrant and labor organizations from around the region-were in attendance.
Some of the key activists at the summit included Comrade Shahid, Pakistan U.S.A. Freedom Forum; Charlotte Kates, New Jersey Solidarity/Activists for the Liberation of Palestine; Ardeshir Ommani, American-Iranian Friendship Committee; members of FIST-Fight Imperialism, Stand Together-student and youth group; Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; former Pennsylvania death-row inmate Harold Wilson; Mexican activist Brian Barraza; and a delegation of Latino immigrant workers representing the Freeport, Long Island Day Laborers. Elena Everett from Raleigh FIST spoke about the inspiring two-day wildcat strike carried out by a majority of Latin@ workers at the Smithfield, N.C., hog processing plant on Nov. 17 and 18.
Following a delicious Senegalese buffet/lunch, the meeting included opening and closing remarks from key activists, and then broke into smaller discussion groups. Fallou Gueye from the Union of African Workers-Senegal gave welcoming remarks. The four-hour meeting was co-chaired by Larry Holmes and Sharon Black from TONC and Sara Flounders from the International Action Center.
The group discussions on solidarity with liberation movements and countries fighting the empire were summarized by Ellie Ommani; on community, labor and anti-racist organizing by Philadelphia IAC activist Betsey Piette; on students, youth and counter-recruitment activism by Raleigh FIST organizer Dante Strobino; and on immigrant workers' rights by Teresa Gutierrez.
The following are some of the major issues that were agreed upon unanimously at the summit: The need to organize mass and militant actions in the streets to stop the wars abroad and at home now that the Nov. 7 elections are over. The importance of linking the fight against racism and national oppression to the anti-war struggle in order to build a strong, multi-national movement for social change. And the urgency of forging unity between all the anti-war formations to organize a national mobilization in Washington, D.C ., on March 17, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war.
The proposal that was greeted with the most enthusiasm was the idea of launching an encampment in Washington DC to stop Congressional approval of mar war funding, sometime in the early spring of 2007.
In a preliminary report on the Nov. 18 meeting, a TONC statement read, "Participants in the meeting felt very strongly that notwithstanding important political differences within the broader anti-war movement, including past difficulties in working together, that it was most critical at this time when the mass struggle in the streets against the war needs to be revived, that all coalitions reject fragmentation, unnecessary divisiveness and competition around protest dates and national protest, and instead pull together so that the movement in the U.S. can do what the world is waiting for it to do and shut down the war machine."
To help build for the March 17 mobilization, nationally coordinated days of action linking the anti-war, anti-racist and pro-worker movements will be called for Jan. 15-the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. The follow-up TONC meeting will be held in New York on Dec. 5 at Solidarity Center. For more information, call 212-633-6646 or go to www.troopsoutnow.org
Fallou Gueye Hospitality is a big word in our culture. To have you in little Senegal is very important because we feel that you are just like us. We don't have borders. We are fighting for the same noble cause-to defeat imperialism which is the cause of war. People who are living here are deeply, deeply victimized and negatively impacted by that war. We are fighting against the war, we are fighting against IMF, World Bank. International corporations are dominating us daily and impacting negatively on our lives.
Sara Flounders What kind of a movement is being built? Connections must be made between Iraq , Palestine, Lebanon , Syria , Sudan , and North Korea . We have to look at the struggle globally; we can't allow the imperialists to criminalize and demonize the liberation movements. We must oppose the massive raids and detentions of our immigrant sisters and brothers and endless war and no money for education, day care, healthcare, etc. We are stronger when we are united, when we embrace these issues.
Teresa Gutierrez May 1 Coalition We have to recognize the power that each and every one of us in the room represents because these are the same people who quickly shifted to support the rise of one of the most oppressed sectors of our class, immigrants, and came out on May 1 and supported workers marching around the country; when you consider the support that this sector of the anti-war movement has for one of the most oppressed sectors, you have to know how extremely powerful this support is. What TONC can do is everything possible to bring out the anti-war movement for May Day. The workers know what the heck they are doing like in Smithfield, No. Carolina. What a contribution the anti-war movement is making to the people of Iraq , Palestine and everywhere by making this kind of this connection.
Larry Holmes The top Democratic Party politicians were not against the war in principle. They are not against wars of colonial conquests; they want to recolonize the Middle East . Their problem against the [Iraq] war is that it was done badly, incompetently. Their program now is how to fix it. They don't have an anti-colonial difference, or anti-exploitation difference or anti-racist difference [with Republicans]. It's just a tactical difference of people who have the same interests. The [Nov. 7] anti-war referendum took place because the Iraqi people are refusing to be occupied. The Iraqi people are doing what is expected of them. The question is what the hell are we doing? We have to challenge ourselves to carry out more militant tactics; campuses must be shut down. We are not speaking to just one racial demographic grouping. We have to reach out to immigrant communities. The Palestinian liberation movement is central to Arab liberation. The Israeli Army acts as if it is a detachment of the U.S. armed forces. All wars are connected. It isn't just an issue of having a bad president-wars are systemic. The road to unity is to adopt an anti-imperialist world view.
Brenda Stokely Labor, community leader Regarding Katrina survivors, the same forces that dismantled people and their lives are still alive and well. Demonstrations took place on Nov. 18 in New Orleans and Baton Rouge confronting Gov. Kathleen Blanco who has set up a blue ribbon commission stacked with wealthy people, developers, financiers, real estate barons to solidify control in that region including Mississippi . Who is missing are people of color; those adversely affected particularly African Americans, people who work and people who were not homeowners. Fifty-seven percent of the people before the hurricane were renters. Blanco's proposal has nothing to do with renters. Public housing folks are not being allowed to go back home and nothing is wrong with the housing. The people are not being welcomed back; inner displaced persons have been created in Mississippi , Alabama and Louisiana which is a violation of UN Human Rights Charter for Displaced Persons; the U.S. does not carry about human rights.
Lourdes Vela Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle Please help us educate the immigrant communities about [Hugo] Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution because we have not been allowed in that door in spite a lot of the work you all have done. Chávez is someone that we need not only in the U.S. but all over the world.
Chuck Mohan Guyanese Workers Association The immigrant movement is not about one group of people but about everyone. We need to come together as one. I have no illusions about the new Congress. We can't struggle in a vacuum. Our struggle is linked to other struggles that were here before we came-Native American, African American, Latin@, women and other struggles present in the U.S.
NY City Councilperson Charles Barron What should Bush's sentencing be after so many Iraqis and soldiers are dead? If you have some elected officials who have problems with Hugo Chávez saying that Bush is a devil, well, if you act devilish, it makes you a devil. You can't murder people all over the world and not be the devil incarnated; you can't be playing golf, while people are dying in New Orleans and not be the devil. Right on to Chávez; I think he did the right thing and is doing the right thing in our communities. I don't know if this is something that you want to brag about but you are the reason why the Democrats are in office now because it is the anti-war movement that is the only movement in this country that was against the Iraqi war; the Democrats voted for war. We have one party, the Republicrats. The Democrats voted for Bush to have the right to go to war; Democrats voted for him to finance the war and when [John] Murtha said you have a way out, I want to put forth a resolution for a phased withdrawal, none of the Democrats voted for it. Now you have to keep marching so that the shift in positions means a shift in policy. We have to continue to go forward to revolutionize this country; America needs a revolution; we need a radical change in America and I believe it can happen; we shouldn't compromise our principles, compromise our position. Free Mumia, free all political prisoners, and pay us our reparations. Forward ever, backward never.
Dr. Asha Samad-Matias SAFRAD-Somali Association Repression is continuing; City College is not what it is not what it use to be; we have to bring the struggle to the students who are workers; that refugees, whether they are so-called refugees from New Orleans or those seeking political asylum who are struggling, imprisoned, having their homes raided, having their homes washed away purposely, just like Harlem is being re-gentrified for Black and Latin@s, all of this should show that this is one struggle.
Larry Hamm People's Organization for Progress African Americans, from the beginning, have consistently opposed the war in Iraq and oppose the policies of the Bush administration but a lot of times when we go to the peace activities we really don't see the numbers of African Americans that reflect that opposition to the war. Every time there is a poll, 95 percent of the African American community is opposed to the war but this opposition has not been made manifest in the streets; and it's in the streets where it really counts. On the wave of anti-war sentiment, the Democrats got control of the House and Senate; Democrats are backpedaling on the issue of the war; troops are hostages of the Bush administration. Veterans Administration had funds cut. There are a bunch of liars at the White House . We need to take many buses to the White House to make a citizens' arrest of Bush for crimes against humanity, for war crimes; impeachment is just a process, it's not a conviction. It is pressure from the masses of people who will end this war, not electing politicians. The people's movement ended the Vietnam War. POP is calling for a People's Peace Conference at Rutgers Law School on Jan.20. We are going after groups who have not come out against the war-ministers, unions, street gangs, politicians. This conference has a particular objective-when white folks come to the conference, bring some Black folks with you; we don't want the conference to be another conference of the left; we want the conference to be dominated by masses of the people. We want to get people who may not be politically active. A millions for peace march in New Jersey is needed.
Pam Africa These monsters have been trying to pull every trick to divide us off but we have to be strong; it is nothing new; we know the game, we know the tricks; we must continue to teach and bring unity. This government is at war with every form of life and we must unite with every movement to bring this monster down. Onamove!
Gary Labao BAYAN USA We stand here in solidarity with immigrants, the workers' struggle and the anti-war movement. Whether it is the struggle for liberation in the Philippines , Iran , Iraq , North Korea ; whether it's the workers, the immigrants or the soldiers in Iraq right now, our common enemy is U.S. imperialism. Down with U.S. imperialism.
Panama Vicente Alba Puerto Rican activist, immigrant rights organizer We need to think globally and act globally. We need to take responsibility for what goes on in this country because it affects the rest of the world. This is the empire and this empire is out of control. The environmentalist movement has been telling us for the past 30 years that the world is on the way to destruction; now you got Chomsky, Chavez saying it; we are not listening, we don't act; we need to take every step against the empire and globalization; we must engage in the Katrina front, anti-war front; immigrant rights movement; we are going to win not because the Democratic Congress is anything different from the Republican Congress. We're gonna win because we take it to the streets. We need to learn to collectively transfer the power of the people into the streets into legislation that gives all of the legalization necessary for 12 million human beings; not only the workers but their children, their grandmothers, grandfathers; we don't have the time or the luxury not to come together in a principled way.
Sharon Black The energy at the anti-war summit in Harlem was incredible. Not only was there a resounding call for unity of the anti-war movement to descend on Washington on March 17. The gathering itself was an expression of unity. To bring representatives of both the class struggle at home against racism and for immigrant rights, and the anti-war and anti-imperialist movements abroad, points in the direction that the anti-war movement must go-this fact, along with many others including the political content of the meeting, made the Troops Out Now Coalition summit unique and important.
1) Friday, July 14th Protest at CNN--Stop the War Against Immigrants! Lou Dobbs-Stop Racist Immigrant Bashing!
2) Counter Protest Against Minuteman Rally at Ground Zero, Wednesday, July 26, 12 noon
A Call to Unite & Demonstrate: Friday, July 14th 4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.
Stop the War Against Immigrants! Lou Dobbs: Stop Racist Immigrant Bashing! Make NYC a Sanctuary for All Immigrants!
Protest at CNN(Home of the Lou Dobbs Show) - 59th St. & Columbus Circle
Lou Dobbs posing with member of the racist anti-immigrant "Minutemen."
We are in the midst of one of the most vicious, blatant, and dangerously racist campaigns against immigrants in our lifetimes. The danger is that people of goodwill, particularly native born people have not yet expressed their outrage and opposition to the racist campaign in a strong and united way. It’s time to rise up and say ENOUGH!
As if the government’s criminal negligence in the wake of the Katrina hurricane and the post 911 targeting of Muslims, and people of Arab, Asian and African descent was not enough, now it’s open season on immigrants, especially undocumented Latino workers.
>From small towns like Hazleton P.A. to halls of the U.S. Congress, legislation is pending that would subject undocumented workers to even more criminalization, deportations, and repression. Racist armed vigilantes like the “minute men” are patrolling Border States hunting for immigrants, and gangs regularly attack immigrant day laborers in the streets as they wait for jobs.
No media personality has done more to generate an anti-immigrant climate than CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Anyone tuning into to Dobb’s primetime nightly racist sermon will be told that undocumented workers are responsible for the “war on the middle class”, crime, terrorism, and turning Spanish into the official language of the U.S.
On Friday, July 14 we call upon all who can to demonstrate against racism immigrant bashing outside of the New York headquarters of CNN in Columbus circle where Lou Dobbs makes his daily broadcast from. Join trade unionist, students, antiwar activist, and immigrants on Friday and together, let’s start the process of stopping the racist tide and turn it back.
CALLED BY THE MAY 1 NYC IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION which is composed of community, student, and labor groups including: (partial list) Asociacion Tepeyac; Association of Senegalese in America; Latin American Workers Project;Justice 4 Immigrants Filipino Coalition; Freeport Community Worklink Center, Long Island; Guyanese-American Workers United, New York, NY; Pakistan USA Freedom Forum; Anakbayan, NY/NJ; Million Worker March; Philippine Forum; Break the Chains Alliance; Centro Guatemalteco Tecun Uman; La Pena del Bronx;Chris Silvera, Pres. National Teamsters Black Caucus, Sec.-Treas. Teamsters Local 808; CASA Freehold, NJ; Harlem Tenants Council; Troops Out Now Coalition; New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines; Rev Luis Barrios, Iglesia San Romero de las Ameritas; Reverend Lucius Walker; Salvation Baptist Church in Brooklyn; Hunter College Justice Center; Chinese Staff and Workers Association; National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS); NYC Working People’s Voice Newspaper; IFCO Pastors for Peace; BAYAN USA Philippine New Patriotic Alliance; International Action Center; Make the Road by Walking; Trabajadoras por la Paz; The Dominican Club/LaGuardia Community College; National Alliance of Latin America and Caribbean; Frente Unido Inmigrantes Ecuatorianos;Ecuador Para Todos Lenin Medina; Haitian Coalition to Support the Struggle in Haiti; Jersey City Peace Movement, Jersey City, NJ; Korea Truth Commission; NCBL Medgar Evers College Immigration Center; Pachamama BULLETIN:
PROTEST THE RACIST MINUTE MEN IN NYC ON WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 12:00PM AT GROUND ZERO (Liberty and Church St) The Racist, anti-immigrant “Minute Men” have announced plans to assemble at Ground Zero at 12:00 noon on Thursday July 26 – There will be a counter-protest to show that the people reject the racist, divisive message of the “Minute Men”. It’s important that you make plans to attend the counter-protest. FOR MORE INFORMATION 212-633-6646
1) Friday, July 14th Protest at CNN--Stop the War Against Immigrants! Lou Dobbs-Stop Racist Immigrant Bashing!
2) Counter Protest Against Minuteman Rally at Ground Zero, Wednesday, July 26, 12 noon
A Call to Unite & Demonstrate: Friday, July 14th 4:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.
Stop the War Against Immigrants! Lou Dobbs: Stop Racist Immigrant Bashing! Make NYC a Sanctuary for All Immigrants!
Protest at CNN (Home of the Lou Dobbs Show) - 59th St. & Columbus Circle
Lou Dobbs posing with member of the racist anti-immigrant "Minutemen."
We are in the midst of one of the most vicious, blatant, and dangerously racist campaigns against immigrants in our lifetimes. The danger is that people of goodwill, particularly native born people have not yet expressed their outrage and opposition to the racist campaign in a strong and united way. It’s time to rise up and say ENOUGH!
As if the government’s criminal negligence in the wake of the Katrina hurricane and the post 911 targeting of Muslims, and people of Arab, Asian and African descent was not enough, now it’s open season on immigrants, especially undocumented Latino workers.
>From small towns like Hazleton P.A. to halls of the U.S. Congress, legislation is pending that would subject undocumented workers to even more criminalization, deportations, and repression. Racist armed vigilantes like the “minute men” are patrolling Border States hunting for immigrants, and gangs regularly attack immigrant day laborers in the streets as they wait for jobs.
No media personality has done more to generate an anti-immigrant climate than CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Anyone tuning into to Dobb’s primetime nightly racist sermon will be told that undocumented workers are responsible for the “war on the middle class”, crime, terrorism, and turning Spanish into the official language of the U.S.
On Friday, July 14 we call upon all who can to demonstrate against racism immigrant bashing outside of the New York headquarters of CNN in Columbus circle where Lou Dobbs makes his daily broadcast from. Join trade unionist, students, antiwar activist, and immigrants on Friday and together, let’s start the process of stopping the racist tide and turn it back.
CALLED BY THE MAY 1 NYC IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION which is composed of community, student, and labor groups including: (partial list) Asociacion Tepeyac; Association of Senegalese in America; Latin American Workers Project;Justice 4 Immigrants Filipino Coalition; Freeport Community Worklink Center, Long Island; Guyanese-American Workers United, New York, NY; Pakistan USA Freedom Forum; Anakbayan, NY/NJ; Million Worker March; Philippine Forum; Break the Chains Alliance; Centro Guatemalteco Tecun Uman; La Pena del Bronx;Chris Silvera, Pres. National Teamsters Black Caucus, Sec.-Treas. Teamsters Local 808; CASA Freehold, NJ; Harlem Tenants Council; Troops Out Now Coalition; New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines; Rev Luis Barrios, Iglesia San Romero de las Ameritas; Reverend Lucius Walker; Salvation Baptist Church in Brooklyn; Hunter College Justice Center; Chinese Staff and Workers Association; National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS); NYC Working People’s Voice Newspaper; IFCO Pastors for Peace; BAYAN USA Philippine New Patriotic Alliance; International Action Center; Make the Road by Walking; Trabajadoras por la Paz; The Dominican Club/LaGuardia Community College; National Alliance of Latin America and Caribbean; Frente Unido Inmigrantes Ecuatorianos;Ecuador Para Todos Lenin Medina; Haitian Coalition to Support the Struggle in Haiti; Jersey City Peace Movement, Jersey City, NJ; Korea Truth Commission; NCBL Medgar Evers College Immigration Center; Pachamama
BULLETIN:
PROTEST THE RACIST MINUTE MEN IN NYC ON WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 12:00PM AT GROUND ZERO (Liberty and Church St) The Racist, anti-immigrant “Minute Men” have announced plans to assemble at Ground Zero at 12:00 noon on Thursday July 26 – There will be a counter-protest to show that the people reject the racist, divisive message of the “Minute Men”. It’s important that you make plans to attend the counter-protest. FOR MORE INFORMATION 212-633-6646
TELL BUSH AND CONGRESS: STOP THE EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES!
Please join the online campaign to STOP THE EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES! YOUR EMERGENCY ACTION IS NEEDED NOW! Send emails to President Bush, Acting FEMA Head Paulison, the Governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, key senators and representatives, U.N. Secy General Kofi Annan and your own governor, Federal senators and representatives, and state senators and representatives, DEMANDING that the EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES BE HALTED IMMEDIATELY and that money raised for reconstruction go to the evacuees, not the corporations.
The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) is a national grassroots coalition of antiwar activists, trade unionists, solidarity activists and community organizers.
For more information, or to find out how you can get involved, visit our homepage at TroopsOutNow.org
