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Occupy the Justice Department, April 24

Published Mar 29, 2012 8:08 PM

In early February a story appeared that got minimal coverage from local news about a young Black man, Ramarley Graham, 18, in Queens, N.Y. He was chased into his home by New York Police Department cops and shot dead at close range for alleged possession of marijuana. Then came the news about Trayvon Martin, killed by George Zimmerman on Feb. 26.

Four days later, March 1, news of brothers Justin Sipp, 20, and Earl Sipp III, 23, surfaced. They were shot in New Orleans. Justin was killed in a routine traffic stop that turned into a deadly shootout that left two police officers wounded. Earl was shot in the leg and released as soon as his wound was treated. The family has requested an investigation.

New Orleans is no stranger to police misconduct and brutality. Five police officers were found guilty of killing two unarmed Black men, James Brissette, 17, and Ronald Madison, 40, a few days after Hurricane Katrina.

As public outcry began to grow around the Martin case, another unarmed Black man, Dane Scott Jr., 18, was shot from behind and killed after a highway chase with police on March 14 in Del City, Okla. An investigation into the shooting death of this teen has been requested by State Rep. Mike Shelton.

As millions signed the change.org petition demanding the arrest of Zimmerman, and hundreds of thousands around the country participated in protests and candlelight vigils demanding justice for Martin, a young woman was shot by an off-duty police officer in Chicago on March 21. Rekia Boyd, 22, an innocent bystander, was shot in the head while walking alongside a man who police alleged had a gun. The man was charged with a misdemeanor for aggravated assault. Boyd died on March 22. Her family is demanding an investigation.

These attacks by the state and its self-appointed vigilantes become more credulous when juxtaposed with the 30-plus years of torturous and inhumane conditions in which political prisoners like Russell Maroon Shoats, Leonard Peltier, Eddie Marshall Conway and Mumia Abu-Jamal are forced to exist — just to name a few living in the bowels of the criminal justice system.

“The Mumia struggle is not an isolated incident, but another incident in how the state seeks to remove revolutionary forces out of our community,” said Philadelphia activist Natasha Danielle.

End unjust judicial & prison system

The demand for freedom for all political prisoners has been issued to the U.S. Department of Justice. Thousands will meet in Washington, D.C., on April 24, Mumia’s 58th birthday, to demand justice for political prisoners, youth and countless others who have been victimized by mass incarcerations and economically starved by the new Jim Crow caste system.

Immediately after the Dec. 9 National Constitution Center event here, where more than 1,100 people came out to support Mumia Abu-Jamal and other political prisoners, a call for action was issued to “Occupy the Justice Department!” A coalition including the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Educators for Mumia, the Free Mumia Coalition, the International Action Center and Millions for Mumia began planning to get people to D.C. on April 24.

Organizations like Occupy for Prisoners, Decarcerate PA, Occupy Philly, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy NOW DC and others have joined with the coalition to converge on the Justice Department to demand the end of mass incarcerations, solitary confinement, torture and the death penalty. Their demands include hands off immigrants, the release of all political prisoners, and jobs, education and health care, not jails.

The demonstration will be a joyous event, celebrating the victory the people won in getting Mumia Abu-Jamal off death row. A civil disobedience action will also take place, stressing the immediacy of the need to right the wrongs of this unjust judicial system.

To obtain more information about the action and to sign the pledge to be present at the Justice Department on April 24, visit occupythejusticedepartment.com. Download the flier and encourage community members and those affected most by police brutality to be present.

In the D.C./Baltimore area a special pre-event teach-in and screening of “Justice on Trial” will take place April 11 at 8:30 p.m. at Busboy and Poets in Washington at 14th and K Streets. For more information on how to get involved and for transportation on April 24, call 215-600-6626.