I missed the TV coverage, but I was at the rally. There were a few sour notes for me--mostly because I don't generally enjoy demonstrations all that much, even if I am one of those "white progressives." But I was pleased with a lot of what I heard and I was encouraged to see such a large and diverse crowd showing their unhappiness at Mr. Jeilani's death.
You seem to be criticizing the presence of the National Lawyers Guild observers. As a participant, I felt a great deal safer because they were there. I agree that some speakers were trying to advance causes that were outside the purpose of the march. When a speaker brought up Palestinian self-determination, for example, even though I agreed with him, I thought it was inappropriate for this gathering. I also thought that there were about even numbers of whites and Somalis present. But I noticed US-born African-Americans also, not a huge number, but a much higher percentage than I'd expect to see at, for example, a Minneapolis Issues gathering. There were a number of Somali speakers at the rally. I was especially pleased to hear young Somali women speaking, and a woman who was announced as a "great Somali singer" did a song, with many in the crowd joining in. Some of the Somali speakers thanked people for coming out on "such a nice Saturday afternoon." The temperature was hovering around freezing, and I was struck by how quickly they'd taken on a Minnesotan view of the weather. Many people bought T-shirts that said, "Mental illness is not a crime" showing Mr. Jeilani with his young son. Proceeds were to go to his widow and children. Last year I was at a march for Efrain Depaz, the young Hispanic man who was shot by the police in April. The march was held on a weekday and went from St. Steven's church to City Hall. You might have liked that one better. It was quieter and more decorous and had better focus than the one on Saturday. It was also much smaller and probably less effective at getting the attention of city officials. It's hard to get several hundred people who don't know one another to an event and have it be tightly focused. Nine people have been shot dead by the Minneapolis police beginning with Rocco D'andrea in December 1999. Four of the dead were mentally ill and five of them were African-Americans or nonwhite immigrants. This looks more and more like a deeply entrenched problem rather than a statistical blip. Those of us who are upset about these deaths are in some ways an unwieldy bunch. We bring different backgrounds, emotional states, and political philosophies to the work, and the results can confusing or contradictory. But to me, when four hundred or more people turned up on Saturday, they were saying, whether with good songs or tedious political chants, that Mr. Jeilani's life was not expendable, and I was glad to have been one of them. Rosalind Nelson Bancroft Alan Shilepsky wrote: > I was very disappointed last night to see how I believe Channel 11 > covered the march to the courthouse Saturday. In particular, they > suggested that the march was representative of the Somali community, and > was less conciliatory than at the recent meeting they had with the > Mayor. > > I attended the coming-together on Friday, which was very conciliatory > (save for a Clyde Bellecourt anti-1492, un-agenda'ed speech) and then > returned on Saturday to observe the march and Courthouse rally, which > was angrier in tone. > > The Friday coming-together crowd was, I would guess, 90% plus Somali. > It heard representatives from Phillips NRP org, various faith > communities (inc. Jewish Community Relations), and city government > (Mayor's rep as well as CM's Zerby and Zimmerman spoke, and CM Lilligren > was present). Kudos to Dean for saying (as did several others) "our > city is made richer by your presence," and for his commitment to > improving police training and policies, and to recruitment from the > Somali community. > > The Somali speakers were focused on Mr Jeilani and his family, and the > expectation of fair treatment by the police. > > That was Friday--the Somali-organized event. The group I saw marching > and rallying Saturday at the Courthouse was very different--I would say > at least 50% white progressives of various causes. Several people were > wearing "Legal Observer" caps of the National Lawyers Guild. And the > flier being passed out making demands and calling for a meeting for more > activity was sponsored (on the English side) by the "Untied March > Against Police Brutality Coalition." > > The sloganeering of the white marchers had the traditional "no justice, > no peace" and "jail the cops" tone--more agressive than the Somalians > had displayed the day earlier. > > Pics in the flow--a young white woman yelling anti-police slogans into a > mike, connected to a loud speaker that a Somalian was politely carrying > for her. Or an older mother telling her two under-15 kids to hold their > anti-cop sign up straight and to not wander from the group--show > solidarity. (Ah, the socialization process. I smiled later when I saw > kids by the side snow-boarding on a similiar sign, while the speeches > continued.) > > So my gripe with Channel 11 news is that it made it out like the > strident tone of Saturday was that of the Somalian community. I say > no--Friday the Somalian community showed itself to be serious, > dignified, and conciliatory. Saturday's tone was set by angry white > progressives who in this case helped give the Somalis a bad name on the > 10 o'clock news. > > And progressive who, like Bellecourt (if that is who he was--that was > what I was told), would be happy to alienate the Somalis from mainstream > American society by promoting victimism to them. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
