Immigrant Justice Solidarity Project: People's Justice: Brief Summary of Friday April 25th

Sunday, April 27, 2008

People's Justice: Brief Summary of Friday April 25th

The March After the Rally (courtesy: Indymedia.org)

Brief summary of Friday April 25th

Peoples Justice Rally for Justice for Sean Bell & All Victims of Police Brutality
2 arrests following formal march

Following yesterday morning's announcement of Judge Cooperman's "not guilty on all counts" acquittal verdict of 3 of the 5 NYPD officers involved in the murder of Sean Bell, hundreds gathered in Queens to express their outrage. Disgusted by the trial process (determined by 1 judge rather than a jury), and the unjust outcome, the Peoples Justice rally began at 5:30pm by the Queens DA's office, with family members speaking of having lost loved ones to police brutality, and others speaking of personal experiences being victimized by law enforcement violence, including: Nicholas Heyward, Sr. spoke of his son - Nicholas Heyward, Jr. - murdered by the NYPD; members of Jayson Tirado's family; Juanita Young, mother of Malcolm Ferguson and founder of Parents Against Police Brutality; representatives of the Bushwick 32 case; Desis Rising Up & Moving, linking the struggle against police brutality to the struggle against the criminalization of immigrants. In addition to justice for Sean Bell and other specific cases, Peoples Justice is calling for an end to racist & militarized policing of our communities; the creation of a permanent independent prosecutor for all cases of police brutality in NYC; and increased efforts for community control of our safety through creation of community Cop Watch patrols and Know Your Rights work.

Peoples Justice moved the rally from the Queens DA's office with a march to Liverpool, the site of the 50-shot murder of Sean Bell and injuries to his friends Trent Benefield & Joseph Guzman. The unpermitted march, growing to 1,500 on Queens Boulevard, stopped traffic and was greeted by enormous support from community members along the way -- many joined the march; others honked their support from their cars, not seeming bothered to be stopped in traffic; others cheered from rooftops, apartments, stores, and buses.

At the closing rally on Liverpool (site of the shooting), about 500 vowed to continue the struggle for justice for Sean Bell & all victims of police brutality. Co-MC's Jessica Sanclemente (from the Justice Committee) and Thenjiwe McHarris (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement) reminded community members of the need to demand accountability of the police while also taking steps towards community control through Know Your Rights education and Cop Watch patrols. Those interested in developing their own Cop Watch patrols can contact the Justice Committee or Malcolm X Grassroots Movement for more information, and Peoples Justice can be contacted for more information about Know Your Rights training.

Following the close of the formal Peoples Justice march & rally, some continued with an impromptu march through parts of Jamaica, Queens. According to updates Peoples Justice received, at about 11:30pm, following the dispersal of one group at the 103rd Precinct, a protester was arrested as he was leaving, and a legal observer who tried to get badge information of the arresting officers was also arrested. After getting the news last night, Peoples Justice organizers secured an attorney to work with the 2 who were arrested, and also had several Peoples Justice organizers go to the 107th precinct where they were being held before being transported to Central Booking. The attorney attempted to have them released with DAT's (desk appearance tickets), which is often protocol in such cases. The NYPD refused. We expect that the 2 will be released today, and will post additional updates if community mobilization is required.

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Upcoming Events!

please send us an email at ijsp@riseup.net if you are interested in participating in any upcoming event!
[updated 5/7/09]

**Ongoing
**Monthly IJSP Meetings
Interested in getting more involved in with IJSP? Email us at: ijsp@riseup.net to find out more.

**Peoples' Justice CopWatch
Join IJSP and Peoples' Justice in patrolling the police! Help empower our communities to know our rights, prevent abuse, and if/when it happens, document it! Contact us for more info.

*Friday, May 8th!*
6:30p - 8:30p w/hangout afterward
Happy Hour Phone Outreach
@ Center for Constitutional Rights - 6th Floor
Join IJSP members for some food and drinks as we make outreach calls to DWU members. Phone outreach is one of the main ways to help build the membership base of DWU and to remind folks of important events. Join us for as long as you can and/or come out with us afterward for some drinks and fun!

Saturday, May 16th!*
3:00p - 6:00p
DWU ID Making & Interpretation
Interested in helping us make ID cards or providing interpretation for DWU members at the DWU general meeting? Contact us!

Monday, May 25th!*
12:00p - 3:00pm
Day of Remembrance with "Mothers of Never Again"
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Building Plaza
163 West 125th Street
Join us as we stand in solidarity and unity with Mrs. Bell (Sean Bell's mother) and "Mothers of Never Again" (M.O.N.A.) in a day of remembrance of lost loved ones to gun violence in New York City.

WANNA JOIN?

We are always looking for new people who are interested in learning more about IJSP, getting involved with one of our projects or helping develop new work.

Jumping in is easy – send us an email at ijsp@riseup.net and we’ll meet up with you either at an upcoming event or just to grab a cup of something. Once you join, you can be around a lot, sometimes or only once in awhile – there’s room for folks at all levels of commitment. What matters to us is bringing energy to the movement and letting the movement energize you. If you like what you’re doing and are thinking you’d like to stick around, you’re probably ready for the part of an organizer.

If you are interested or want more info - drop us a line!

WHO'S IN IT?

Folks in IJSP see themselves as allies who want to make concrete contributions towards movements led by radical immigrant and women of color. We tend to be people who benefit from some kind of privilege or power, however each of us may define it (money, skin, status, sex). But we are diverse, of many genders, races, incomes, styles and orientations. What binds us is a desire to be around folks who are passionate about ending all forms of oppression, and a drive to discover new ways of building a movement for collective liberation.

WHAT ARE WE ABOUT?

We believe that communities directly impacted by conditions of imperialism must be at the forefront of any movement for social justice. IJSP’s structure reflects this by primarily supporting the leadership of low-income, women-led, people of color & immigrant community-based organizations. We currently work with Domestic Workers United, Desis Rising Up & Moving, and are part of the People’s Justice Coalition. Our work is flexible but we regularly support DWU’s basebuilding efforts through monthly phone outreach, provide monthly childcare for DRUM, and organize trainings, events and campaigns with PJ.

OUR STORY

IJSP has already had many lives. In mid 2001, IJSP was known as the Detention Working Group of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants (CHRI-Dets.) We came into being through our involvement with the “Stop the Disappearance Campaign” (STDC), which drew a critical linkage between growing immigrant detention and the prison industrial complex. We fought for an end to the violent policing of borders through our support of NYC-area immigrant detainees after 9/11. Since then we have taken on new lives through campaigns promoting comprehensive immigration reform, the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, and anti police brutality.

POINTS OF UNITY

WE UNITE AGAINST IMPERIALISM – the mass, transnational exploitation of land, resources, people for material gain by a powerful few – and it’s many manifestations, namely the strategic imposition of (& ironically, the imperialist violation of) borders, across & within stolen land. We understand imperialism to be the root cause of such on going atrocities as the US Prison Industrial Complex, the US/Mexico Border Wall, NAAFTA & CAAFTA, the “War on Terror,” Occupation in Palestine, Occupation in Iraq. We believe in the abolition of borders, cages and double-standards, where money & weapons flow freely across the same borders which so many are trapped by.
WE UNITE AROUND AN ETHIC OF SOLIDARITY – the understanding that, despite our various different levels of privilege (citizenship, skin, class, gender, ability, sexuality), we share a vision of justice where all people, land, creatures are free from oppression. As a collective of less-affected allies, we recognize the importance of leadership of those most affected by conditions of imperialism, namely poor, immigrant, &/or native women & communities of color. We endeavor to support this leadership towards a mutually beneficial & just existence.
WE UNITE AGAINST OPPRESSION – the systemic disenfranchisement & historically unequal treatment of poor people of color, immigrants, native peoples, women & queers by white-led government / corporate infrastructure. We recognize that oppression exist in many forms, including within us; we are committed to challenging traces of oppression wherever & whenever they arise.
WE UNITE AS A COLLECTIVE – using a consensus-based model, we practice anti-authoritarianism, which we believe is a necessary foundation in a world without oppression. All may have an equal voice in determining our collective actions and their outcomes.
WE UNITE AROUND HONESTY – Don’t front – confront! If we are to collectively build toward a shared vision of justice, we must trust one another. We value clear communication, where our political commitment, intentions and capacity around this work are transparent. As a volunteer-run collective, we strive to create a sustainable community, and recognize that this is enabled by the honest participation of all members.

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