> > WW News Service Digest #146 > > 1) Brooklyn: Outrage as killer cop goes free > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) New York court harasses death penalty foes > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Los Angeles activists mobilize full force for Dem Convention protests > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Iraq: Which way for anti-sanctions movement? > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 5) July 26 in Cuba > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 6) Tax reform or giveaway to the rich? > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 10, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Brooklyn, N.Y. > >COMMUNITY OUTRAGE AS KILLER COP GOES FREE > >By Pat Chin >Brooklyn, N.Y. > >Haitians and their supporters demonstrated here July 29 >against a grand jury decision not to indict undercover >narcotics detective Anthony Vasquez in the shooting death of >Patrick Dorismond. > >The protest, organized by the Haitian Coalition for Justice, >started with a rally in front of the home of the slain >security guard's parents. It was followed by a militant and >spirited march to the Holy Cross Church, the site of >Dorismond's March 25 funeral. > >Demonstrators carried a lead banner that read "Stop police >brutality." Numerous signs were hoisted, some of which >declared "Jail killer cops, free Mumia," and "Justice for >Patrick Dorismond." > >Also held aloft were huge placards with pictures of >Dorismond and other victims of police terror, like Kevin >Cedeno, Anthony Baez and Nicholas Heyward Jr. Other signs >reflected the struggle against racism. > >"Whose streets? Our streets," chanted the protesters when >police tried to redirect the march. > >The cops, who were deployed en masse, had come prepared to >make arrests in this mostly Black and immigrant community. >But no one was intimidated. > >"The people united will never be defeated," they shouted at >the blue phalanx that lined the sidewalks. > >Speaker after speaker took the microphone to denounce >Dorismond's killing and the travesty reflected in the grand >jury decision handed down two days earlier. Marie Dorismond >demanded justice for her son. > >"Patrick," she told the multinational crowd, "is the first >Black man to be killed for saying 'no' to drugs." > >Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgantheau, who prepared >the grand jury case, was called a police accomplice and >subjected to blistering criticism. Speakers urged unity and >multinational solidarity. > >Dorismond, a 26-year-old Haitian man, was shot and killed >March 16 after rebuffing undercover cops who tried to >ensnare him in a buy-and-bust drug sting. The attempted set- >up for his arrest was carried out under "Operation Condor," >crafted by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the Police Department. > >The huge increase in drug arrests under "Condor," many for >minor offenses, was calculated to make the mayor appear >tough on crime in his now-defunct bid to win right-wing >support for a U.S. Senate run. > >After the killing, Giuliani enraged the Haitian community >and others by distorting and releasing the slain man's >sealed juvenile record. It was a gross and callous attempt >to demonize Dorismond in order to justify the police action. >The cop-coddling mayor also refused to meet with the >victim's family. > >When Dorismond was fatally shot by Vasquez he became the >fourth unarmed man of African descent to be killed by city >cops in 13 months. His life was taken only weeks after a >jury in mostly white upstate Albany County had acquitted the >four white cops who gunned down Amadou Diallo. > >The four walked free after their trial was moved from the >Bronx, with its majority Latino and Black population, and an >African American woman judge who was set to hear the case. > >Dorismond's death, like Diallo's, sparked numerous street >mobilizations against racist police killings. Protests led >by the Haitian Coalition for Justice demanded that Giuliani >and Police Commissioner Howard Safir resign. > >A massive turnout at Dorismond's funeral escalated into a >violent clash with the police, who were deployed in large >numbers, some in riot gear. Twenty-three cops and four >demonstrators were injured in front of the Holy Cross >Church. More than 27 were arrested. > >Speakers at the July 29 demonstration against the grand jury >decision called for support of those who still face criminal >charges stemming from the rebellion that erupted at >Dorismond's funeral. At least seven people now face felony >counts. WBAI-Pacifica reporter Errol Maitland, who was >brutally beaten by police and hospitalized, was charged with >disorderly conduct at that protest. > >Kevin Kaiser, who was with Dorismond when he was killed, >told the crowd that there was no justification for the >shooting. He testified before the grand jury and has filed a >$15 million civil lawsuit against the city. > >Solidarity came from Elombe Brath of the Patrice Lumumba >Coalition and Colette Pean of the December 12 Movement. >There were also representatives from the Haiti Support >Network, International Action Center, Oct. 22 Coalition to >Stop Police Brutality, Shades of Power, Women in Mourning, >and other groups. > >A speaker from Workers World Party reminded the crowd that >the cops and the courts function only to protect the >interests of the rich. "Stay mobilized," she said. "Don't >give up, keep marching. Organize yourselves for people's >justice." > >To support the movement to win justice for Patrick Dorismond >and those arrested at his funeral, readers can call the >Haitian Coalition for Justice at (718) 284-0889. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > > >Message-ID: <003c01bffe7d$95ffce40$0a00a8c0@home> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] New York court harasses death penalty foes >Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 21:36:32 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 10, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >NEW YORK COURT HARASSES DEATH PENALTY FOES > >By Monica Moorehead >New York > >After the ghastly lynching of Shaka Sankofa, also known as >Gary Graham, the big-business media's silence was deafening. >After all, they had given so much national attention to his >case before the execution. Why didn't the media take the >golden opportunity to discredit Texas Gov. George W. Bush as >the murderer of someone who, at the age of 17, clearly did >not receive a fair trial? > >The ruling class told the media to shut up about the case >because Bush is still one of their own. Also it was not in >their class interest to risk diverting attention from their >bogus 2000 elections by elevating the issue of racism in the >form of the execution of an innocent Black man. This would >help expose the racist platform of the Republicans. > >The International Action Center has refused to shut up about >this travesty of justice. In fact, the anti-racist >organization has been carrying out an intense campaign to >keep Sankofa's case alive with disruptions of serial killer >Bush's campaign speeches wherever possible. This included a >disruption of Bush's speech at the NAACP's annual convention >in Baltimore July 10. > >These bold actions have helped to influence some mainstream >figures to take a stand against the death penalty, no matter >how moderate their overall political program. > >For instance, Hugh B. Price, president of the Urban League, >one of the oldest and most respected civil-rights >organizations, came out for a national moratorium on the >death penalty. Sankofa's execution was cited as a major >motivation for this announcement at the Urban League's >annual conference. > >The criminal-justice system may want the masses to forget >the circumstances of Sankofa's death. But the repressive >state is far from forgiving those activists who struggled to >stop this legal lynching. > >Two days before Sankofa's execution, the IAC held a >demonstration in front of Bush campaign headquarters in >midtown Manhattan. This emergency demonstration was called >on two days' notice. The New York Police Department usually >requires five business days to secure a sound permit. > >Because of the urgency of the situation, the IAC struck a >deal with the NYPD whereby the normal five-day stipulation >would be waived if those using the sound equipment would >accept summonses to appear in court and the sound being >temporarily confiscated at the conclusion of the >demonstration. > >The charge would be illegal use of the sound, a misdemeanor. >Five IAC activists received summonses, including Imani >Henry, Rachel Leiner, Qausu Thwaites, Nzinga Pearson and the >writer of this article. They were represented by Leslie >Brody, a progressive lawyer from the National Lawyers Guild. > >At the July 21 hearing Brody explained to the judge the >political significance of the death penalty issue--that the >protest was taking place just two days before the scheduled >execution of Shaka Sankofa. She pointed out how both sides >cooperated in this matter and that in the interest of >justice, the charges should be dismissed. > >Her pleas were ignored as the judge said that he was not >about to dismiss this case because, in his opinion, "there >are two sides to every issue." > >Fortunately Brody pointed out that three of the summonses >had been written incorrectly. As a result, those cases were >dismissed. The remaining defendants were scheduled to return >the next week to stand before a different judge. > >The defendants appeared in court a second time July 27. Once >the same political argument was made by the lawyer, this >judge said that he would not dismiss the charges and >suggested that the defendants receive Adjounrments in >Contemplation of Dismissal. Getting an ACD means that the >charges remain on your record and can be reactivated if you >are arrested within six months. > >The lawyer refused to go along with this suggestion. The >judge then wanted to schedule a trial date for late >September. > >The lawyer was aggressively able to negotiate a third court >date of August 3 before another judge to try to get the >charges totally dismissed. > >This is another example of the ongoing political harassment >of the progressive movement and the intense impact Sankofa's >execution continues to have on both sides of the death >penalty issue. > >[Moorehead is Workers World Party's 2000 presidential >candidate.] > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > >Copyright � 2000 workers.org > > > > > >Message-ID: <004201bffe7d$e110b980$0a00a8c0@home> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Los Angeles activists mobilize full force for Dem Convention >protests >Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 21:38:38 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 10, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Los Angeles > >ACTIVISTS 'MOBILIZE FULL FORCE' >FOR DEM CONVENTION PROTESTS > >By Workers World >Los Angeles bureau > >As demonstrators took to the streets of Philadelphia to >protest the Republican National Convention, mobilizing for >mass protests at the Democratic National Convention in Los >Angeles hit a fevered pitch. > >A mass march and rally demanding a new trial for Mumia Abu- >Jamal and an end to the death penalty will kick off the >protests Aug. 13. At least 22 buses from throughout the >Western United States are scheduled to arrive. > >The mass rally will gather at noon at Pershing Square, 5th >and Olive streets, and march to the Staples Center, where >the DNC is being held. The action is sponsored by the Los >Angeles Coalition to Stop the Execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal >and South Central Solidarity. > >Ed Rendell, head of the Democratic National Committee, will >lead the convention. Rendell was the Philadelphia district >attorney who worked to frame well-known Black activist and >journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal in 1981-1982. > >Nancy Mitchell, a youth organizer for the International >Action Center, said, "The conventions of the two big- >business parties are such an appropriate setting for this >struggle against the racist death penalty, and to expose the >system of capitalism that uses it to repress workers and the >poor. > >"We're mobilizing full force for the demonstrations at the >DNC," said Mitchell. "At the kick-off march on Aug. 13, >we'll be resisting police brutality and showing the world >that the people want the racist U.S. prison-industrial >complex shut down. We're in solidarity with Mumia and the >peoples of the world." > >Mitchell said the IAC is organizing delegations at actions >throughout the week. The group plans a mass rally against >the bombing and sanctions of Iraq on Aug. 15 at 5 p.m. >outside Staples Center. > >"We're fighting as hard as we can, in the spirit of Shaka >Sankofa," Mitchell said. > >PROTESTERS RESIST LAPD > >Mayor Richard Riordian and the Los Angeles Police Department >have used violence-baiting in order to intimidate protesters >and intensify the climate of repression here. > >The LAPD has whipped up fear in order to get more public >money to stock up on arms. The police are purchasing guns >that shoot pellets containing pepper spray, intended to be >fired directly at individuals. This in itself is an act of >aggression, protest organizers say, that exposes how the >cops want to riot. Police have harassed make shift >organizing offices, spraying mace through mail slots and >ordering people to leave. > >Throughout the summer the LAPD refused to issue permits for >marches at the DNC and publicly announced plans to maintain >a Seattle style "no-protest zone" around the convention >area. Recently, defiant organizers won a court victory >upholding their right to protest near the convention center >at 11th and Figueroa streets downtown. A federal judge ruled >July 19 that a "no-protest zone" proposed by the police >impeded protesters' right to free speech. > >"We won that ruling through organizing public pressure, at >press conferences and with visibility in the streets over >the issue," said Tahnee Stair of Workers World Party. "The >courts definitely felt the pressure and that there would be >a price to pay if they continued to thwart the desire of the >people to protest. > >"We refused to be intimated, and we can't be stopped. The >movement is too strong. People are sick and tired of racism >and want to see the death penalty ended, and we're going to >march against it Aug. 13, " Stair declared. > >A press conference about the Aug. 13 National March for >Mumia is planned for Aug. 8 at Pershing Square. Featured >speakers will include Southern California American Civil >Liberties Union President Steven Robles, the Rev. Bird from >South Central Church, a representative of the Nation of >Islam, members of the popular Latino rock band Aztlan >Underground, immigrants' rights activists, and IAC Los >Angeles Co-coordinator John Parker. > >Volunteers are needed for the Aug. 13 march. The IAC holds >volunteers' meetings every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and every >Saturday at 11 a.m. Call (213) 487-2368 to get involved, >receive information on IAC contingents, or learn more about >the Aug. 8 press conference. > >Workers World Party plans a public forum on the DNC protests >and the struggle against racist repression on Aug. 11 at 7 >p.m. Featured speakers will be WWP presidential and vice- >presidential candidates Monica Moorehead and Gloria La Riva. >Millions for Mumia leader Larry Holmes will also speak. The >location is 422 S. Western Ave., Suite 114, Los Angeles. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > >Copyright � 2000 workers.org > > > > > >Message-ID: <004801bffe7e$3eba62c0$0a00a8c0@home> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Iraq: Which way for anti-sanctions movement? >Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 21:41:15 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Aug. 10, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >Iraq > >WHICH WAY FOR ANTI-SANCTIONS MOVEMENT? > >By Brian Becker > >It's no surprise that there is increasing worldwide >opposition to the U.S.-imposed economic sanctions against >Iraq. Five thousand perfectly blameless infants and children >perish each month in Iraq because they are unable to get >clean drinking water, adequate food and even the most basic >medicines. > >There is now a worldwide movement demanding an end to >sanctions. Unfortunately, one sector of this growing >movement has injected a new demand into its slogans: calling >for the continuation of "military sanctions" against Iraq. > >Some of these same groups actually raised the slogan >"sanctions not war" back in 1990. > >The International Action Center, which has campaigned >relentlessly for the last 10 years against sanctions, has >issued a powerful statement explaining the disastrous >effects of adopting a demand that sanctions be reshaped >instead of immediately terminated (on the World Wide Web at >http://www.iacenter.org/). > >Unless this slogan is repudiated it could seriously weaken >and derail the movement. > >"Those who want to stop the Iraqi people's suffering must >direct their demand at the aggressors, at the U.S. and >Britain whose war planes bomb Iraq routinely, almost daily, >who have dropped thousands of bombs on Iraq in the last >year," says Sara Flounders, co-director of the IAC. > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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