'Justice for Manuel Chametla!'
By Stephen Millies
Queens, N.Y.
Rain didn't stop 300 people from marching down Queens
Boulevard on Nov. 20 to demand justice for Manuel Chametla. The
18-year old had been killed "accidentally" on Oct. 18 by
retired NYPD Detective John Malik while he was working in an
Astoria, Queens, grocery store.
Malik hasn't been charged. The ex-cop wasn't even put in
handcuffs after the shooting.
Like millions of Mexican workers, Manuel Chametla was forced
to come to the United States to provide for his family. His
widow and their child are now penniless.
"The police are sending a message that immigrants' lives
don't count," said Brian Barraza, president of the Association
of Mexican American Workers. "Our immigrant voice has to be
heard."
Barraza led a group of marchers carrying a huge Mexican flag
to the office of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown to
protest the killing.
"My son was just beginning to live his life," said Noe
Chametla--Manuel's father--at the rally outside the Queens
County Courthouse.
Chametla's father was hugged by Altagracia Mayi. Her son
Manuel Mayi was killed by a racist gang in Corona, Queens, in
1991. None of these killers of a Dominican youth went to
jail.
"Mexicans are handcuffed just for selling tamales," said
Andrés Mares of the Human Rights Asociación
Tepeyac en NY, which organized the protest along with City
Councilperson Hiram Monserrate.
"We are one people," declared Charles Barron, the former
Black Panther Party member who represents East New York on the
City Council.
"When they shot Amadou Diallo 41 times, they shot my
brother. When they shot Manuel Chametla one time, they shot my
brother," said Barron. Barron is running a grassroots campaign
to become New York mayor in 2005.
Manhattan City Councilperson Margarita Lopez told the crowd,
"We know the truth." This lesbian fighter for oppres sed
people's rights spoke in Spanish to the marchers.
It is rumored that a grand jury is deliberating whether to
charge Malik. Only the power of the people can bring justice
for Manuel Chametla.
Reprinted from the Dec. 2, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page