December 15, 2014

While New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hosted a holiday party at his Gracie Mansion home, protestors gathered outside as part of a demonstration called, #Mansionshutdown.  The Protest was Organized by Justice League NYC as a continued response to the police misconduct and recent killings going on in our communities. 

First is a video of Rapper and activist Immortal Technique who was a part of the protest and spoke to the crowd about the broad issues at hand. He also recited one of his pieces.

In this next video, a protestor discusses the hypocrisy of Mayor Bill De Blasio an and his policing policy of, Broken Windows.  She compares the policy to stop and frisk and policies we have seen in the past.

Justice League's call to action for the protest read as follows, "On Tuesday, December 9th, Justice League NYC sent a letter to Mayor De Blasio to meet with us to discuss our demands. As of today, we have not received a response from anyone in his administration. But tonight he's having a party and Justice League NYC want you to join us-with bells on!"

Following a march from the Bronx D.A.s office to the Harlem State Office Building the supporters of the family of Ramarley Graham gathered to speak out on the failure to indict NYPD officer Richard Haste for the murder of Ramarley Graham.  His father, Franclot Graham lays out the families suffering and their demand for justice.

NY1 - A Bronx judge has thrown out the indictment on manslaughter charges filed against the officer accused in the shooting death of Ramarley Graham, saying the grand jury was accidentally misled by the district attorney's office. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.

Constance Malcolm, the mother of Ramarley Graham, couldn't hide her feelings when Judge Stephen Barrett threw out the manslaughter indictment against police officer Richard Haste.

"You killed my God damn child, you son of a bitch," Malcolm yelled in the courtroom.

Haste shot and killed the unarmed teen last year. He said he thought Graham had a gun.

Judge Barrett said Bronx prosecutors made a major mistake in the grand jury process.

"I believe that inadvertently, the district attorney's instructions did mislead the jury," the judge said.

Officer Haste has said he chased Graham into the teen's home because other officers put over the police radio that the teen had a gun. Haste shot and killed Graham in the bathroom, but no gun was found.

Judge Barrett ruled that the grand jury should have been able to consider what other officers reported.

"In effect, the grand jury was told, by both commission and omission, that the communications of other officers to officer Haste were not relevant," Judge Barrett said. "That's my conclusion in reading this instruction, and that is error."

Outside court, supporters of Graham's family were outraged.

"We will continue to fight wherever this fight leads," said Franclot Graham, Ramarley Graham's father. "If we have to go to the Justice Department, then that's where we'll go."

"The people of Bronx County and the citizens of America will not go away, will not cease and desist against police violence, excessive force, against, obviously, murder," said Attorney Royce Russell.

Inside the courtroom, Haste didn't say a word, but his union said the judge made the right decision.

"No police officer ever wants to draw their weapon and be in this situation, so it's a difficult time for everyone," said Pat Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

Everyone involved in the case knows it's likely to continue. Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said his office will decide if it will appeal the judge's ruling or present the case to another grand jury.

Following the decision, the Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement, saying, "This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice and an insult to the family and supporters of Ramarley Graham. We demand that a new grand jury is convened immediately and that the case is re-presented."

Story from NY1.Com

Delivery of over 2,000 petitions and letters telling DA Cyrus Vance to drop the charges against Jazz Hayden.
 

EMERGENCY! Jazz Hayden's Freedom is On the Line

Two Urgent Actions to Keep Jazz Free:

THURSDAY: GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS TO INDICT JAZZ!

Thursday, September 13th, 8:30 am -1 Hogan Place

(near Centre and Worth Streets, around the corner from courthouse at 100 Centre Street; Trains: 4/5/6/N/R to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall; Q to Canal; A/C/J/Z to Chambers)

Join us at the press conference & rally
 
And earlier in the week...

    TUESDAY: CALL-IN DAY TO KEEP JAZZ FREE!

    Tuesday, September11th

    Call Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office: Attorney William Darrow, tel. 212-335-9192

    Tell Darrow to Drop the Charges Against Jazz Hayden! We want to keep Jazz Free!

This is an urgent week in the campaign to keep Jazz free! Despite over 2,000 of us raising our voices, and despite the obviously retaliatory nature of the charges, District Attorney Cyrus Vance has re-affirmed he intends to pursue an indictment at the Grand Jury hearing this Thursday.

Jazz is a 71-year old grandfather and community activist, unflinchingly devoted to defending the people of Harlem and New York from the racist police humiliation and brutality communities of color experience on a daily basis. The NYPD and the courts are using bogus weapons charges to try to silence his cop watch activities and send a chilling message to the rest of us. Jazz is facing a possible 14 years in prison.  

TURN OUT ON SEPTEMBER 13!! We need to send a strong message to jurors and the prosecutors as they enter the courthouse: WE STAND BY JAZZ HAYDEN!

CALL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON SEPTEMBER 11!! Take just two minutes on Tuesday to flood their phone lines with one clear message: drop the trumped-up charges against Jazz Hayden! Call Attorney William Darrow at 212-335-9192 and tell him to stop persecuting Jazz for his community service!

Sign Jazz's petition and learn more about his case at www.freejazzhayden.wordpress.com

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
BOGUS NYPD WEAPON CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST ACTIVIST BRO. SHAKA SHAKUR

By BRO. SADIKI "SHEP" OJORE OLUGBALA
Special Thanks To The Amsterdam News


On December 12, 2011, Bro. Shaka Shakur, a coordinator of the Peoples Survival Program (PSP) and a respected Bronx & Harlem community activist, was arrested at work after a taskforce of police agents raided his apartment in the Bronx with a baseless warrant. In the course of the raid the police also took the opportunity to violate the home of veteran Black Panther Cyril "Bullwhip" Innis under the guise of an alleged search for illegal weapons.

This was seen at the time as another direct attack by the forces of state repression against those that both organize in the Black/Latino community and; who fearlessly fight against both the US Prison Industrial Complex and the racist police terror conducted daily by the NYPD.

Monday, June 11, 2012 after seven months of organized struggle, and in front of yet another courtroom packed with supporters; the bogus NYPD weapon charges were finally dropped against Bro. Shaka.

In addition to the very strong legal defense in this case, Attorney Michael Tarif Warren pointed out during the victory press conference that "it was both the Bronx Grand Jury's respect and appreciation for Shaka's continuing history of community work and especially the reality of your continuing to pack the court room during any upcoming jury trial; that ultimately convinced the Bronx District Attorney's Office that it was in their best interest to drop the bogus NYPD charges."

Bro. Shaka then addressed the crowd of enthusiastic supporters in reiterating his attorney's analysis that "it was the power of the people that won this victory for the people; But there are still other Anti-Police Terror cases to be supported and the struggle still continues."

On behalf of Bro. Shaka Shakur and his family, The Peoples Survival Program would like to thank CEMOTAP for its "Shaka Shakur Legal Defense Fundraiser"; Activist Attorney Michael Tarif Warren, Esq., his usual legal prowess inside and outside of the courtroom; and especially for the friends, family, activists, supporters and true comrades; Who sacrificed their time by answering the call to help us to "OCCUPY THE COURT HOUSE & KEEP BRO. SHAKA FREE"