-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the July 20, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
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DEARBORN, MICH.: THOUSANDS PROTEST RACIST MURDER AT
MALL
By David Sole
Detroit
An outraged crowd of over 7,000 Detroiters gathered
outside the Lord & Taylor store at Fairlane Mall in
suburban Dearborn on July 5 to protest the killing of an
African American man in the store parking lot late last
month. The incident has unleashed tremendous anger built up
over many years of racist harassment and brutality at the
shopping center and other places in Dearborn.
On June 22, Frederick Finley and his family were accosted
by several Lord & Taylor security guards in the parking lot
outside the store. The guards grabbed Finley's 11-year-old
daughter, accusing her of shoplifting a $4 bracelet. When
Finley tried to argue, the guards assaulted him, wrestled
him to the ground and strangled him. One guard reportedly
had his knee on Finley's throat.
Finley died at the scene, killed in front of his horrified
family.
Detroit community and religious leaders joined together to
call the July 5 protest. Local African American radio
personalities broadcast the call to action for days.
By 6 p.m. the parking lot where Finley was killed was
packed with thousands of people. Many came after work.
Entire families took part. A large number of those gathered
were young people for whom this might have been their first
political protest.
Shortly after the rally began, Dearborn police blockaded
the roads leading into the mall, keeping thousands of other
protesters from attending the event.
The crowd was overwhelmingly African American. Many nodded
as the speakers recounted how Dearborn police and Fairlane
Mall staff had been "profiling" and targeting African
Americans throughout the years.
Horace Sheffield III chaired the rally. He denounced Lord
& Taylor. "Instead of handing out gift certificates, they
gave out a death certificate." Detroit Congressperson John
Conyers Jr. and activists Dick Gregory and the Rev. Al
Sharpton took part in the rally, along with local
chairpersons of the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership
Conference and Detroit City Council members.
The Finley family was also present, along with their
attorney. They have filed a $600 million suit in the case.
Speakers announced plans for a boycott of the Fairlane
Mall and Lord & Taylor stores nationally.
Protesters are planning a follow-up action at the Detroit
Federal Courthouse at noon on July 17.
- END -
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