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New flyer for gathering on day of Mehserle's verdict
Feel free to print out, disperse, etc..
A guilty verdict will not bring Oscar's life back -- nor will a guilty verdict in and of itself change the reality of police oppression and violence that confronts our youth each day. If former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle is found guilty as a result of the trial currently underway in Los Angeles, it will be an historic occasion. But it will also be the exception that proves the rule in this so-called post-racial society.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, we will come together as a community on the day of the verdict to provide a positive space for people to speak out and express their feelings and to continue working for justice -- in honor of Oscar and all the brothers and sisters that were on the BART platform with Oscar that fateful night on January 1, 2009.
We are in a unique position to organize folks to resist police brutality, to take the lessons we have learned in the past eighteen months and join with others around the state and the country to move forward with our fight. No matter what happens as a result of the trial, we know that police brutality and racial profiling are facts of life, particularly in poor communities.
On the day of the verdict, we want to create a safe space where our youth won’t be left vulnerable or exposed to the risk of arrest because of the actions of others. We respect everyone’s right to protest or not; what we do matters.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, we will come together as a community on the day of the verdict to provide a positive space for people to speak out and express their feelings and to continue working for justice -- in honor of Oscar and all the brothers and sisters that were on the BART platform with Oscar that fateful night on January 1, 2009.
We are in a unique position to organize folks to resist police brutality, to take the lessons we have learned in the past eighteen months and join with others around the state and the country to move forward with our fight. No matter what happens as a result of the trial, we know that police brutality and racial profiling are facts of life, particularly in poor communities.
On the day of the verdict, we want to create a safe space where our youth won’t be left vulnerable or exposed to the risk of arrest because of the actions of others. We respect everyone’s right to protest or not; what we do matters.
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Can we the people name something or someplace after Oscar Grant?
Any ideas?
I never had met him, but his story his tragedy touched so many people. I really think that naming a lake or a specific group of trees or a plaza or something after Oscar Grant would have a strong effect on people.
Its just a thought, I hope its not too corny.
Any ideas?
I never had met him, but his story his tragedy touched so many people. I really think that naming a lake or a specific group of trees or a plaza or something after Oscar Grant would have a strong effect on people.
Its just a thought, I hope its not too corny.
What is the date of the vigil? What day is Mesherle's verdict going to be read? The date needs to be on the flyer before it goes out.
...such as how long the trial ends up taking, and how long it takes the jury to arrive at a verdict.
If you stay tuned to indybay or other media, however, you will know about as much as anybody else as far as it concerns what stage the trial is at and when the verdict will be announced.
If you stay tuned to indybay or other media, however, you will know about as much as anybody else as far as it concerns what stage the trial is at and when the verdict will be announced.
To everyone who may be in the streets on the day of the verdict,
Please remember, if you get arrested, you have the absolute right to not say anything to the police. You also have the right to speak to a lawyer about your case. I really hope people are preparing for the possibility that they could end up in jail regardless of how careful they are during a gathering. I would very much suggest speaking to a lawyer before the gathering and figuring what personal information you will provide if you are arrested. Specifically, I am talking about your name, address, phone number, that sort of thing. Again, beyond that, you do not have to provide any information to the police. If they ask you what happened, say "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to an attorney." Say that over and over. They want to get a confession out of you. They are trained to do that. They will lie to you and be deceitful and manipulative. They shoot people who are cuffed and face down on the floor. You think they won't lie to you? If they ask you "Is the sky blue?" You say, "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to an attorney." Be safe. Peace.
Please remember, if you get arrested, you have the absolute right to not say anything to the police. You also have the right to speak to a lawyer about your case. I really hope people are preparing for the possibility that they could end up in jail regardless of how careful they are during a gathering. I would very much suggest speaking to a lawyer before the gathering and figuring what personal information you will provide if you are arrested. Specifically, I am talking about your name, address, phone number, that sort of thing. Again, beyond that, you do not have to provide any information to the police. If they ask you what happened, say "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to an attorney." Say that over and over. They want to get a confession out of you. They are trained to do that. They will lie to you and be deceitful and manipulative. They shoot people who are cuffed and face down on the floor. You think they won't lie to you? If they ask you "Is the sky blue?" You say, "I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to an attorney." Be safe. Peace.
I have heard, however, that the judge -- the same judge who presided over the Rampart hearings about a decade ago (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/lapd/scandal/cron.html) -- has expressed his desire to finish hearing evidence by the July 4th weekend if not earlier. From there, the trial will move to the sentencing phase; but we cannot predict how long it will take the jury to arrive at a verdict. Fair to guess that a verdict will be issued at some point in July?
1st, thanks for all the posts and suggestions. As for naming something after Oscar, an effort to rename Fruitvale BART station to Oscar Grant station did begin in 2009, and it may well come up again in the near future, when the center of struggle returns from LA to the bay.
2nd, before any rumors get started, this flyer was produced before the media hype, intimidation and misinformation machine went live in the media June 17. The spirit and wording of having a "safe space" for vulnerable folks is so that when the verdict comes down, there is space for even the most vulnerable folks to come out and express themselves, too. Any verdict deserves the strongest, longest, most effective response possible, that lays the basis to build this movement for the long term. To be clear, this flyer came out before and was in no way a response to the current state-sponsored misinformation campaigns against protests.
The New Years Movement for Justice, the Oakland Assembly, and our many partners locally and statewide support a wide range of political protest and defend the rights of the people to take to the streets. We urge everyone to be safe, know who you're rolling with, and be clear about the messages sent by actions. The struggle against police misconduct is a marathon, not a sprint (though there may be some sprinting in between, too).
2nd, before any rumors get started, this flyer was produced before the media hype, intimidation and misinformation machine went live in the media June 17. The spirit and wording of having a "safe space" for vulnerable folks is so that when the verdict comes down, there is space for even the most vulnerable folks to come out and express themselves, too. Any verdict deserves the strongest, longest, most effective response possible, that lays the basis to build this movement for the long term. To be clear, this flyer came out before and was in no way a response to the current state-sponsored misinformation campaigns against protests.
The New Years Movement for Justice, the Oakland Assembly, and our many partners locally and statewide support a wide range of political protest and defend the rights of the people to take to the streets. We urge everyone to be safe, know who you're rolling with, and be clear about the messages sent by actions. The struggle against police misconduct is a marathon, not a sprint (though there may be some sprinting in between, too).
For more information:
http://newyearsmovement.org
To everyone who may be in the streets on the day of the verdict,
Please remember that if you follow the law and the directions of law enforcement officials, the above will not be necessary.
Please remember that if you follow the law and the directions of law enforcement officials, the above will not be necessary.
Does naming a station after Oscar Grant do anything at all to make things better for anyone? Even though memorials might make some folks feel like the situation has been addressed, it is nothing more then a white lie if the underlying issues are not addressed. People get shot all the time. The reason most of us know Oscar Grants name is that this is bigger than Oscar Grant and we all know that. In my opinion, this isn't over 'til we disarm the police. Did naming a boulevard after MLK do anything to advance the cause of the civil rights movement? Naming something after Grant would have the opposite effect on his memory than what you are looking for. It would bury him in insincere half steps and do nothing to stop police from killing people.
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