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California | East Bay | Police State and Prisons | Racial JusticeLA Coalition for Justice Rises Up at First LA Mehserle Hearing, 1/8/10: photos and video
Because the murder trial of Johannes Merserle was moved out of Alameda County to Los Angeles County, many of those who had already been working for police accountability in Los Angeles have stepped up in solidarity with Oakland activists who demonstrated throughout 2009. Community activists in LA have now come together as the Los Angeles Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant. On January 8th, 2010, at Mehserle's first court hearing in Southern California, the LA Coalition joined with a Oaklanders who traveled south to let authorities know that the community is still watching and demanding a vigorous prosecution. About 100 people demonstrated in front of the court house, many arriving as early as 7am. These photos and the video below were taken before the LA Coalition press conference and before Mehserle's hearing began.  la-mesherlehearing_010810... The scene inside and outside of the court room revealed just how disingenuous was the change of venue order by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jacobson. Amongst the reasons offered for venue change by Mehserle's defense team and cited by the judge in his order -- besides a non-scientific and racist argument that African Americans in Alameda County could not be impartial jurors, based on a poll that included less than twenty African Americans -- was that media coverage and social justice activism in the Bay Area would interfere with a fair trail for Mehserle. Any reasonable person could have easily concluded that both would be present in any county the trial was moved to when the case represents the first time ever a police officer has been charged with murder for an on-duty shooting in the state of California. The rarity and magnitude of this trial is made all the more clear by the reported 1,000 people killed by police in California over the last ten years, 310 of whom died in Los Angeles alone -- every single one of which was determined to be justified by various police departments, district attorneys, and other authorities. A change of venue cannot hide this simple fact.
A report from inside the court room by community media activists will be forthcoming. The trial is currently set to begin in mid-May, with another hearing on February 19th. January 12th: Demand Strong Civilian Oversight at Assembly Hearing on BART Police Oversight - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/22/18633424.php State Capital Building Room 126 Sacramento, CA January 13th: Anniversary of Mehserle's Arrest Fundraiser for O100 Holly Works and JR in West Oakland - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/07/18634627.php Black Dot Cafe 1195 Pine St. Oakland, CA January 17th: The next public meeting of the Los Angeles Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant will be held at 5pm on Sunday. Chuco's Youth Justice Center 1137 E. Redondo Blvd Inglewood, CA 323- 235-4243 Jan 21st: The next meeting of the Oakland Assembly for Justice will be at 7pm in West Oakland. Continental Club 1658 12th Street Oakland, CA February 19th: At the next LA hearing, Mehserle's defense attorney Michael Rains will argue to have Alameda DA's office removed from case and for a reduction in Mehserle's bail even though Mehserle made bail within weeks of being arrested for the murder of Oscar Grant. Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center Los Angeles County Superior Court Complex 210 West Temple St. Los Angeles, CA
§Bay Area KTVU interviews Reiko from Berkeley's Revolution Books
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(video 2:05)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHO: Los Angeles Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant WHAT: Rally, Press Conference, and Oscar Grant Hearing WHERE: 210 W. Temple Street; Criminal Justice Center DATE: January 8, 2010 TIMELINE: Gathering Begins—7:00 Press Conference—8:00, Front Steps of Building/Flagpole Hearing Begins—8:30, 9th Floor, Dept 104 CONTACT: Aidge Patterson, aidge [at] aestheticscrew.com, 323-304-5941 Elizabeth Venable, elziav [at] gmail.com, 951-640-7747 Los Angeles Protest and Press Conference: Justice for Oscar Grant and his Family The Los Angeles Coalition for Oscar Grant will host a press conference (8:00) and rally (7:00-10:00) for the first hearing for the trial of former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle, who brutally killed Oscar Grant one year ago in Oakland. Speakers, attendees, and participating groups include Wanda Johnson, Oscar Grant’s mother, Oscar's uncle Cephus Johnson, Jack Bryson, father of two of Oscar's friends, Keisha Brunston, the aunt of Deondre Brunston (killed by police), Senora Porfiria Rivera, mother of Carlos Rivera (killed by police), Oakland Assembly's Trial Committee, October 22nd Coalition, The Black Riders Liberation Party, Homies Unidos, Coalition for Community Control Over Police, Kabataang Maka-Bayan, AnakBayan LA, Anti-Racist Action LA, Libros Revolucion, Los Angeles Copwatch, Revolutionary Autonomous Communities, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, and LA Indymedia. Statement of Solidarity: · We call for justice for the killing of Oscar Grant and all unarmed, innocent civilians who are killed by police. We stand in support of Oscar Grant’s family and Oakland communities. · For justice to be served in the Oscar Grant case, we believe that Johannes Mehserle needs to be found guilty of Murder (1st or 2nd degree) and not a lesser charge such as manslaughter. · We argue that the trial of Mehserle is about more than Oscar Grant. Oscar Grant is one more stolen life in a nation where police brutality and the expansion of the prison industrial complex run rampant without accountability or transparency. We argue that criminal justice systems constitute a system of governance that systematically oppresses people of color and poor people. Background: Johannes Mehserle, a former police officer for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) killed Oscar Grant III on January 1, 2009 while Grant was laying face down on the Fruitvale station platform as Tony Pirone, another cop, had his knee on Oscar’s neck. The District Attorney finally had Mehserle arrested and charged with murder after days of rage and rebellion broke out in the streets of Oakland as millions worldwide viewed the video of this brutal killing. Against the opposition of family members and supporters of Justice for Oscar Grant, a judge in Oakland moved the case to Los Angeles. The defense attorney wrote that Mehserle could not get a fair trial in Alameda County because too many people had seen the video of Mehserle shooting Oscar Grant and therefore he could not find an “impartial” jury. We intend to demonstrate that Los Angeles has no more sympathy for cops who kill unarmed, innocent people than does Oakland. ### PARA DIVULGACIÓN INMEDIATA
Quien: La Coalición de Los Angeles por la Justicia de Oscar Grant QUÉ: Manifestación, Conferencia de Prensa, y Audiencia de Oscar Grant DÓNDE: 210 W. Temple Street, Centro de Justicia Penal FECHA: 8 de enero 2010 CRONOGRAMA: Inicia de Encuentro-7: 00 Conferencia de prensa-8: 00, Frente pasos de edificio/ polo de bandera La audición comienza-8: 30, 9 Piso, Dpt. 104 CONTACTO: Aidge Patterson, aidge [at] aestheticscrew.com, 323-304-5941 Elizabeth Venable, elziav [at] gmail.com, 951-640-7747 Protesta y Conferencia de Prensa en Los Angeles: Justicia para Oscar Grant y su Familia La Coalición de Los Angeles por Oscar Grant le sede una conferencia de prensa (8:00) y manifestación (7:00-10:00) para la primera audiencia para el juicio de el ex oficial de policía de BART Johannes Mehserle, que brutalmente asesino a Oscar Grant hace un año en Oakland. Intervienen, los asistentes, y los grupos participantes son Wanda Johnson, la madre de Oscar de Grant, Tío Oscar Cephus Johnson, Jack Bryson, padre de dos de los Oscar amigos, Keisha Brunston, la tía de Deondre Brunston (asesinado por de la policía), la señora Porfiria Rivera, madre de Carlos Rivera (asesinado por de la policía), Oakland Assembly's Trial Committee, October 22nd Coalition, The Black Riders Liberation Party, Homies Unidos, Coalition for Community Control Over Police, Kabataang Maka-Bayan, AnakBayan LA, Anti-Racist Action LA, Libros Revolucion, Los Angeles Copwatch, Revolutionary Autonomous Communities, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, and LA Indymedia. Declaración de Solidaridad: · Pedimos justicia por el asesinato de Oscar Grant y todos los desarmados, inocentes civiles quienes son asesinados por la policía. Estamos en apoyo de la familia de Oscar Grant y de las comunidades de Oakland. · Para que se haga justicia en el caso de Oscar Grant, creemos que Johannes Mehserle debe ser declarado culpable de asesinato (1 o 2 grado) y no un cargo menor, como sustantivo. · Sostenemos que el juicio de Mehserle es algo más que Oscar Grant. Oscar Grant es una más de las vidas robadas en una nacion donde la brutalidad policial y la ampliación de la prisión industrail complejo desenfrenada, sin la rendición de cuentas o transparencia. Nosotros sostenemos que los sistemas de justicia penal constituyen un sistema de gobierno que oprime sistemáticamente a la gente de color y a los pobres. Antecedentes: Johannes Mehserle, un ex oficial de policía de la Bay de Area Rapid Transit (BART) mató a Oscar Grant III el 1 de Enero 2009 mientras que Grant fue puesto de boca abajo en el andén de la estación como Tony Pirone, otro policía, tenía la rodilla en el cuello de Oscar. El Fiscal de Distrito porfin mando que Mehserle fuera arrestado y acusado de asesinato después de días de rabia y rebelión estalló en las calles de Oakland millones en todo el mundo miraron el vídeo de este brutal asesinato. Contra la oposición de los familiares y partidarios de Justicia para Oscar Grant, un Juez traslado el caso de Oakland a Los Ángeles. La defensa El abogado escribió que Mehserle no podía tener un juicio justo en la Alameda porque mucha gente había visto el video donde Mehserle le dispara a Oscar Grant y por lo tanto no podía encontrar un "imparcial" jurado. La intención de nosotros es demostrar que Los Angeles no tiene más simpatía por los policies que matan a gente desarmadas y inocente como en Oakland. # # # LA Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant Press Conference, 1/8/09: photos and full audio http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/11/18634912.php Oscar Grant Family Press Conference After Mehserle Hearing in Los Angeles, 1/8/09: photos http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/11/18634948.php Locke High School Students in Watts Rally for Justice for Oscar Grant, 1/8/10: photos http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/12/18635100.php |
