Over 60,000 people from across the country gathered in Jena, Louisiana on Thursday, September 20th, from across the country to protest the pending charges against six African American high school students (Protest Details). The six students were charged with felonies after a fight that started after nooses were hung outside their high school. Protests were also held in cities across the United States. At UC Berkeley, over 1,000 protesters gathered in Sproul Plaza at 12pm. In San Francisco, over 200 people rallied at Powell and Market.

Last week the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the conviction of 17 year old Mychal Bell. The court ruled that he should not have been tried as an adult. Bell was supposed to have been sentenced for attempted second-degree battery this Thursday.

Mychal Bell and five other students were arrested for beating a white student during a schoolyard fight last year. The fight occurred after white students hung three nooses on a tree in the schoolyard.

Bell has been jailed since January unable to meet his $90,000 bond. As of this morning he remains in prison waiting for his new bond to be posted. The District Attorney plans to appeal Bell's overturned conviction at the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Local Report Back From Protests | Photos from UC Berkeley and San Francisco protests

Sept 20th Report from Jena | Voices from Jena | Major Demonstration Planned in Jena | All Out! Support National Days of Protest To Free the Jena Six | Jena Six Case Shows Black Teens Get Short End of Stick | Free the Jena 6! Tune in to UhuruRadio.com | Over 200,000 petitioners say "Free the Jena 6" | Judge Reduces Charges in Jena 6 Case | Jena 6 Hearing: Jim Crow Injustice Moves Ahead

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