5 BLM protester shot in Minneapolis

[Redistribute the Rep]

And possibly by 4channers:



Last night, according to various media accounts, Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis confronted three mask-wearing men at the protests who seemed to be acting shady. After a brief altercation, one or more of the men pulled out a gun and shot at BLM protesters, wounding five of them.

Police took two men — one white, one Hispanic — into custody in connection with the shooting, later releasing the Hispanic man. Two other white men, both in their twenties, turned themselves in to police this afternoon.

While we still don’t know all the details of the shooting, there’s some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence suggesting that the masked men (and perhaps a masked woman as well) were 4channers who had been lurking around the demonstrations for days.


Raw Story is claiming that

White supremacists have discussed various strategies online for sparking confrontation at the demonstration, which they described as a “chimpout.” …

They agreed to wear camouflage clothing and display a four of clubs to identify each other, and the white supremacist agitators argued over whether they should carry guns or wear Guy Fawkes masks.

Much of their language will sound familiar to you all. Raw Story continues:

The white supremacist mocked “social justice warriors” and other anti-racist whites, who they described in psychosexual terms.

“Best to act as much like a beta white as much as you can,” one the racists said.

Meanwhile, a video posted online shows two masked men in camo gear apparently on their way to disrupt the BLM protests; they refer to blacks as “dindus” (short for “dindu nuffin”), a racist slur popular amongst 4channers and white supremacists. (The video was apparently shot several days before last night’s shooting.)


While we don’t know for sure that 4channers — or the two men in the video above — were involved in the shooting, some 4channers are convinced of the connection.

In a 4chan /pol/ thread earlier today quoted by Gawker, one anon puts the responsibility on members of 4chan’s famously racist /pol/ board, as well as another 4chan board devoted to guns:

4chan in the news again. A bunch of /pol/lacks+/k/ommandos in Guy Fawkes masks just shot up a Black Lives Matter protest. Apparently the BLM protestors tried to assault them, the Anon’s ran off and when the BLM protestors chased after them the /k/ommandos shot them.

5 BLM supporters confirmed in the hospital.

Media hasn’t mentioned 4chan by name yet but these guys were on /pol/ a few days ago telling everyone how they were trolling BLM by attending their protests and open carrying.

Other 4hanners claim that the 4channers who talked about disrupting the protests were not the same people who were involved in the shootings yesterday.

If the connection to 4chan is as real as it seems on the surface to be, it’s yet another reminder that online talk can have potentially deadly real world consequences — even when the online talkers claim to be “trolling.”

The alleged planning emails quoted by Raw Story, with their references to “SJW faggots” and “beta white cuck[s],” are steeped in the language, and the aggrieved entitlement, not only of 4chan but of the broader manosphere; it’s the same sort of language used by readers of the cuck-obsessed white supremacist “pickup artist” Heartiste and more than a few GamerGate trolls.

Online hate is not somehow magically separate from the real world; it’s part of it. If the shootings last night were connected to 4chan, and it seems likely they were, they also show that the line between hateful “trolling” and “real” hate is exceedingly thin if not nonexistent. The shootings last night are what happens when “trolls” carry guns.


http://wehuntedthemammoth.com/2015/11/24/when-trolls-carry-guns-were-4channers-responsible-for-shooting-5-black-lives-matters-protesters/#more-18867

[Sasha]

done,

i heard there was another shooting today?

[ckaihatsu]

Protests build against police killing as Minneapolis unites against white supremacist attacks

By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN – Some 3000 people marched two-and-a-half miles from the Minneapolis Police Fourth Precinct to City Hall to protest the police murder of Jamar Clark, and demand the prosecution of the police officers that were involved. The march from the Fourth Precinct started in the afternoon of Nov. 24. Protesters have been occupying the precinct around the clock since the killing on November 16.

The previous night, a violent attack by masked white supremacist gunmen sent five protesters to the hospital, all of them African American men. In response, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis called on supporters to “reject white supremacist terrorism, and reject white supremacist police violence.”

That call was answered by people from across the Twin Cities, who joined the march, refusing to back down in the face of racist terror. Many families with young children joined the march, students from at least four Minneapolis high schools organized walk-outs, and many union workers came back after rallying over weekend. As the crowd assembled, one speaker said, "They tried to break our spirit, but we just grew and grew!"

As the protest set off from North Minneapolis around 2:30 p.m., people from the neighborhood joined in, and many chanted from their porches. The crowd continued to grow and the marched filled the streets of downtown, arriving at City Hall around 4:00 p.m. Speakers, poets and chants kept the crowd united for an hour, before marching back to North Minneapolis, where a major concert carried on into the night on the street in front of the Fourth Precinct police station.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has refused to bring charges against the police that killed Jamar Clark, stating today that his office will “present the case to a grand jury for consideration of criminal charges.” Black Lives Matter Minneapolis responded, “Using a broken grand jury system that convicts less than 3% of cops is completely unacceptable.”

While the occupation of the Fourth Precinct continues, no rallies are set for Wednesday, the day of Jamar Clark’s funeral. There will be a food and clothing drive and a give-away to benefit the Northside community.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[Comrade #138672]

White supremacist scum. Self defense against these fascists is highly necessary.

[Wyboth]

Fuck 4chan. This is why allowing platforms for racists to exist is a horrible idea. "Free speech" should not be put above protection from harm.

[ckaihatsu]

'Blacksgiving' gathering at Minneapolis Fourth Police Precinct occupation demands justice for Jamar Clark

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/a29530af96a02fc55d345e735/images/05419d5e-33ae-4f08-b6c8-9ad3606512bc.jpg

By staff

Minneapolis, MN - On Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, the round-the-clock occupation outside the Fourth Police Precinct in North Minneapolis continued demanding justice for Jamar Clark, the Black man killed by Minneapolis police on November 15.

Hundreds of people came throughout the day to support and join the Black Lives Matter occupation, as supporters brought massive amounts of home-cooked food that filled an extended tent that covered half a block.

Throughout the day, people gathered around the now iconic fire pits and tents that have been blocking an entire block of Plymouth Avenue - a major Minneapolis street - for well over a week now, as well as covering the front yard of the Fourth Precinct. There were speakers, prayers, singing, dancing, discussion and a whole lot of food.

The #Blacksgiving gathering crystallized a spirit of community building after a week of sharp struggle. On Monday, Nov. 23, armed white supremacists infiltrated the occupation, then, when they were discovered and escorted away, they shot five Black Lives Matter protesters. This white supremacist attack provoked a massive, defiant outpouring of support for the movement for Justice for Jamar. On Nov. 24, thousands marched from the Fourth Precinct to City Hall and there were walkouts at several high schools around the city and at the University of Minnesota. Solidarity marches also happened Nov. 25 in cities around the country, including New York, Tampa, Houston, and more.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[Mr. Piccolo]

It was only a matter of time before this sort of online hate spilled out into the real world.

What do you think is driving these ideas and actions? Declining economic prospects for working-class white males?

[BIXX]

A social need to negate folks who don't fit into the narrative of society.

[ckaihatsu]

Racists Attack Minneapolis Protest: Part of a Racist Backlash -- by John Leslie

[to subscribe / unsubscribe, contact [email protected]]

http://tinyurl.com/n9ewa2b

Racists Attack Minneapolis Protest: Part of a Racist Backlash

By John Leslie

On Monday night, November 23, racist gunmen attacked a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis outside of the 4th police precinct. Demonstrators have been camped out outside of the police station demanding justice for 24-year-old Jamar Clark, an unarmed Black man who was handcuffed and in custody when he was shot down by Minneapolis police on November 15. White supremacists had been counter protesting against the protest camp and opened fire when activists asked them to leave.

Five activists sustained what were described as non-life threatening wounds. Cops responded by macing protesters while the shooters got away. Cops told the gathered demonstrators, "This is what you guys wanted." Twenty-four hours later, cops arrested four men. No charges have been filed as of this report. One of those detained was later released.

On Tuesday afternoon a march of more than 1,000 people protested for justice for Jamar Clark and in defiance of the racist violence that was clearly intended to terrorize demonstrators. Later on that night more shots were fired at protesters, but no one was hit. One arrest was made afterward.

400 days in Chicago

On November 24, there was also a mass mobilization in Chicago in anticipation of the release of a dash-cam video showing the murder of Laquan McDonald by cops. Jason Van Dyke, who shot McDonald, was charged with first-degree murder just hours before the release of the video. This chilling dash-cam video clearly shows Laquan McDonald being shot down in cold blood. The cop fired 16 shots, continuing to fire after McDonald was on the ground.

The video was released 400 days after the murder and following more than a year of damage-control and cover up -- including erasing the security video at a nearby fast food restaurant -- by the police and the administration of Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. The video clearly refutes police claims that McDonald threatened and "lunged" at officers. McDonald's family was paid a settlement of $5 million with the stipulation that the video would not be released by the family or their legal team. Activists fought in court to have the video released.

"The problem starts in the mayor's office; implicates the police department's top brass, the police union and rank-and-file officers; and runs through the city's nominally independent police-review authority, which routinely dismisses allegations of police wrongdoing. Since 2007, the authority has reviewed nearly 400 police-involved shootings in Chicago, fatal and non-fatal -- an average of about one per week -- and judged just one of them to be unjustified. Just one officer was charged criminally in all those shootings, and he was acquitted." (source: Washington Post editorial, November 25, "Laquan McDonald's death exposes Chicago's rotten system")

Since 2004, Chicago has paid out more than half-a-billion dollars in settlements and attorney fees to compensate for police misconduct. In 2014, Chicago paid out more than $50 million to settle police brutality claims, money that would have been better spent on meeting human needs.

The outrages in Chicago and Minneapolis have sparked a new round of peaceful mass protests. The epidemic of police violence and murder against people of color has not stopped, with more than 850 people, disproportionally Black and [email protected], killed by cops nationally so far this year. The all-out assault on Black and Brown lives runs from Charleston to Ferguson to New York to Chicago and Minneapolis.

Reactionary backlash

The attack on the protest camp in Minneapolis comes in the context of the Islamophobic and racist frenzy after the Paris terror attack. Politicians of both parties are scapegoating Muslims, immigrants and vilifying refugees. Trump's vow to register Muslims and to close down mosques is just the tip of the racist iceberg. The Donald's fellow GOP presidential candidate, Chris Christie, recently attacked Black Lives Matter, accusing the movement of "calling for the murder of police officers" -- an outright lie.

Trump supporters at a recent rally in Alabama attacked a Black Lives Matter protester after Trump yelled from the podium, "Get him the hell out of here!" Trump supporters beat and kicked the man while calling him racial slurs and saying, "All lives matter."

More than two dozen state governors, mostly Republicans but including some Democrats, have shamefully expressed that their states will not accept refugees from Syria. Reactionary anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant forces have held demonstrations, some attend by open neo-Nazi and white supremacist elements. One group in Texas, calling themselves the Bureau of American-Islamic Relations, held an armed demonstration outside of a mosque, and one of their leaders released a list of the names and addresses of local Muslims. Since the Paris terror attack, there have been racist attacks against Muslims and arson fires and other incidents at Mosques and Islamic centers.

In an earlier article for The Organizer, I wrote: "Islamophobia is a political and ideological prop for the national security state and imperialist intervention in the Middle East and Africa. While prejudice against Muslims is nothing new, Islamophobic language has been used to legitimize imperialist interventions in the Middle East and Africa. Islamophobia has also served to demonize Muslims domestically and to justify the crackdown on civil liberties after the 9/11 terror attacks."

The road forward

True liberation of the oppressed can be achieved only through getting rid of this criminal and racist capitalist system. We demand justice for Jamar Clark, Laquan McDonald, and all victims of police violence. We support community control of police and the jailing of killer cops. Unified mass struggles against Islamophobia and racism and in defense of immigrant rights are urgent tasks.

Mass counter-mobilization against racist attacks, combined with the building of defense guards based on unions and other mass organizations, are necessary to beat back the reactionary backlash. In Vermont, members of Local 203 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) played a key role in organizing against the Ku Klux Klan in Burlington after KKK leaflets were distributed in the community.

In a statement, Vermont union members said, "The sisters and brothers of our union . . . have zero tolerance for the Klan. The recent appearance of KKK fliers on the doors or people of color in Burlington is an intolerable threat. We as a community cannot react softly. These fliers are not free speech. They are not a prank, nor a joke. They were designed to spread fear and insecurity, to threaten, and to announce the presence of a larger organization historically drenched in blood."

Writing about defense against fascist attacks during the 1934 Teamster strike in Minneapolis, Farrell Dobbs wrote, "Conceptually, the guard was not envisaged as the narrow formation of a single union. It was viewed rather as the nucleus around which to build the broadest possible united defense movement. . . . It was expected that time and events could also make it possible to extend the united front to include the unemployed, minority peoples, youth -- all potential victims of the fascists, vigilantes, or other reactionariesŠ." (source: Teamster Politics by Farrell Dobbs)

It is through the independent self-organization of workers and oppressed people that we can advance the struggle against racist terror. We can't depend on appeals to capitalist courts, cops or politicians. Unity in action, solidarity and mass mobilization are steps on the road to an independent party based on the organizations of workers and the oppressed. Such a party is necessary to help push the struggle against racism, state violence, and capitalist austerity forward.

[ckaihatsu]

Encampment at Minneapolis 4th Precinct bulldozed by police

Struggle to get justice for Jamar marches on

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By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN - Hundreds descended upon City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 3, after eviction of an 18-day encampment set up to protest the killing of Jamar Clark outside the Fourth Precinct police station. 100 Minneapolis police raided the encampment at 3:45 a.m., arresting eight, then destroying the camp with bulldozers.

Supporters of Black Lives Matter Minneapolis filled the atrium of City Hall to protest of the mayor and city council's continued brutality against protesters who have endured a white supremacist terrorist attack, police violence and freezing temperatures to demand justice for Jamar Clark and Black people in Minnesota.

Speakers took a determined and positive stance, speaking to the accomplishments of the movement so far, and expressing determination to continue the fight. Jamar’s cousin, Alex Clark, who has been a critical on-the-ground leader throughout the occupation at the Fourth Precinct, spoke to the significance of this struggle, “The history that’s happening right here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, should be in text books across the world!”

Mica Grimm told the crowd, “We been outside for 18 days. We done been maced, we done been shot, we done been through a blizzard and we still here. Ok? We cannot be stopped, because on the path to justice, there is no getting tired!”

In an earlier statement, Grimm said, “We reiterate our demands: Release the tapes, appoint a special prosecutor with no grand jury for Jamar Clark's case, institute a safety plan to protect Minneapolis residents from continued police violence and address racial disparities plaguing our communities.”

The rally marched to nearby Wings Financial, a local bank that is second largest contributor to the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. Demanding that Wings disinvest in the police, protesters wrote messages on the bank windows, including “Justice 4 Jamar.”

After returning to City Hall, demonstrators then set off to join a protest targeting Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis police federation. According to organizers, “Kroll has a long history of white supremacist activity and statements, ranging from wearing ‘White power’ badges on his jacket, being a member of a motorcycle club whose members openly display KKK and neo-Nazi symbols, describing Muslims as terrorists, physically threatening a Black city council member, and worse. He has been accused of multiple incidents of brutality against residents of our city, such as a 1995 case in which he was accused of kicking, beating, choking and using racial slurs against a 15-year-old boy."

The police federation had been holding a fundraiser, but closed the event down early, upon hearing that the protest was headed their way. Protesters then marched to the police federation headquarters, where police had covered up their sign with a tarp and erected construction fence around their building.

The struggle for justice for Jamar Clark continues strong. A Northside Community Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Franklin Middle School will give the community and organizers a chance to determine next steps.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[Sewer Socialist]

If anyone is interested in an informal and ongoing first-person account of the 4th Precinct occupation, there is a pretty good thread on Libcom about this from a member of the IWW over there, including the (seemingly inevitable at this point) liberal snitchjacketing / denouncement of radicals, harrassment, the shooting, the raid / eviction, the targeting of the police union (which was the last update - it seems like the eviction successfully quieted down the ruckus, unfortunately):

http://libcom.org/forums/north-america/minneapolis-kill-unarmed-black-man-19112015

[ckaihatsu]

Hundreds march demanding justice for Jamar Clark

http://www.fightbacknews.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/article-lead-photo/Bigmarchclark.jpg

By Brad Sigal

Minneapolis, MN - Chanting, “If Jamar don’t get it, shut it down!” hundreds of people marched Dec. 19 in frigid weather from the Fourth Police Precinct in north Minneapolis to city hall demanding justice for Jamar Clark. Clark, a 24-year-old African American man, was shot in the head and killed by the Minneapolis police on Nov. 15 on Plymouth Avenue in north Minneapolis, sparking an 18-day encampment at the Fourth Precinct to protest his killing. Today’s march was the largest protest since police dislodged the occupation in front of the Fourth Precinct on Dec. 3.

The protest was organized by the Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar Clark, and had four demands: prosecution of the cop who killed Jamar Clark, with no grand jury; immediate release of videotapes of Jamar’s shooting; federal domestic terrorism charges against criminals who shot five protesters on Nov. 23; and community control and oversight of police.

The march started at the Fourth Police Precinct in North Minneapolis. Marchers stopped and several people spoke at the site on Plymouth Ave where Jamar Clark was killed, then they continued marching to the county Incinerator. From there they marched through downtown Minneapolis, stopping in front of symbolic sites including the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, before arriving at Hennepin County Government Plaza for a closing rally.

Speaking at the rally near the incinerator, Loretta Van Pelt of the Welfare Rights Committee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “We are sick of waiting for justice. Why should we have to ‘wait’ for the police to be prosecuted? Why should we have to ‘wait’ for them to release the tapes? Those police did not ‘wait’ before shooting our young brother, Jamar Clark! They did not ‘wait’ to terminate his life, nor to terminate and terrorize the lives of Black and brown people. Well we sure as hell won’t wait. We demand justice now! Don’t ‘wait’ for a state-appointed grand jury to soften this disgusting murder. Prosecute the police who killed - who shot our child in the head! Prosecute the police!”

Endorsers of the march included Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, Anti-War Committee, Idle No More, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, US Palestinian Community Network-Minnesota Chapter, Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign, American Muslims for Palestine - Minnesota, Al-Aqsa Institute of Minnesota, Students for a Democratic Society at UMN, Socialist Action, Socialist Alternative, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), Save The Kids (Augsburg), National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), Stop Bullying Now Movement, Communities United Against Police Brutality,15NOW, Showing Up For Racial Justice MN, People of Color Union Members (POCUM), Twin Cities IWW General Defense Committee Local 14, and the Welfare Rights Committee.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[ckaihatsu]

Black Lives Matter protest shut down Mall of America and MSP airport

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By Loretta VanPelt

Bloomington, MN - Just two days before Christmas, Dec. 23, and despite a failed lawsuit that asked courts to force organizers to cancel, Black Lives Matter protesters descended on the Mall of America (MOA) to protest the police murders of Jamar Clark and other African Americans.

Hoping to intimidate protesters, MOA security checked the bags of everyone entering the mall and locked all stores on the east side of the mall. Stores announced they would close “because of the Black Lives Matter protest,” and said shoppers who didn’t leave the store would be locked inside.

Hundreds of police from several metro area departments, wearing riot gear or bullet proof vests and wielding three-foot long batons, set out barricades around the rotunda, which was decorated with 44-foot tall silver Christmas trees. Just as the police put the mall on lockdown, protesters put their fists in the air, and marched silently out of the mall to board trains to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International airport, where both terminals were shut down. Major roads and light rail service were also disrupted.

According to organizers, “We have endured an armed white supremacist terrorist attack where five of us were shot; police violence in the form of mace, batons and less lethal projectiles; over 50 arrests on highway 94 and at the Fourth Precinct; and freezing temperatures to demand justice for Jamar Clark. If it’s not clear yet: we won’t stop until we get it.” They demand release of the tapes of the police killing; prosecution of the police involved; federal domestic terrorism charges against white supremacists who shot five protesters and “disinvesting from police and investing in Black futures.”

The protest comes two days after a grand jury in Texas gave the decision not to indict Sandra Bland’s killers. This is why the Minneapolis demands not just prosecution of the police that killed Jamar Clark, but a special prosecutor, and no grand jury.

This was a coordinated effort nationwide to disrupt airports and public transit. Other actions happened in Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago and Chattanooga. At the airport, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis said they wanted to bring attention to the “airport’s discriminatory profiling practices against Black people and anyone who is perceived to be Muslim, as part of a larger system that continues to kill and harm Black people without any justice. The continued relentless violence against Black people is appalling and morally repugnant. The fact that Black people get constantly harassed by police forces at every level, local and federal, in airports, malls, and on the streets of America is no longer acceptable.”

Youth were out in big numbers at this particular protest, including at Terminal 2 (formerly called the Humphrey Terminal), where they led chants.

Arrests were made at both the mall and the airport, including Alex Clark, a cousin of Jamar Clark. “As we were marching out of the mall with everyone else, police came up, called Alex by name, and placed him under arrest, claiming they had a warrant. They refused to say where the warrant was from, or where they were taking him,” said his friend, Jess Sundin, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “There’s no way he was pulled from the crowd because of any warrant. Alex was targeted because he’s been leading the fight to win justice for his cousin.”

Alex and most of those arrested were released by Wednesday night, but one protester is being held without charge. According to Betsy Foxman, "David has not been charged with anything but is on a 36-hour probable cause hold. He needs to be charged with something so a bail will be set and he can be released on bail. Please call Hennepin County Jail (612-348-5112, ext 5) and ask that he be charged so that a bail can be set so he can be with his family for Christmas."

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[ckaihatsu]

Fight to get justice for Jamar Clark continues

http://www.fightbacknews.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/article-lead-photo/jamarbanner.jpg

By staff

Minneapolis, MN - Community members are turning up the heat here as prosecutor Mike Freeman drags his feet, insisting he will throw the police killing of Jamar Clark to a grand jury. Last week, March 8, members of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark brought the issue to the open forum section of the county commissioners meeting. Several spoke up to demand no grand jury.

First up was Sam Gutierrez, a Coalition member who introduced himself as a union worker at the county. “The grand jury is not a fair process, or open.” He then read a letter from Jamar’s parents, James and Wilma Clark, who called for prosecution in an open trial, rather than a secret grand jury.

Adrian Thompson questioned the delay in bringing charges against Minneapolis police officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, “I’m quite sure there have been murders in Minneapolis subsequent to Jamar Clark that had nothing to do with the police, and the ink is probably dry on those indictments.”

One after another, people rose to call for justice for Jamar. Jess Sundin, also with the Coalition, called on the commissioners to speak out, “We'd like you to go on record and say that our community deserves accountability, that our community deserves to know what happened and that the family of Jamar Clark deserves to have answers and that they deserve to see justice.”

Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said county commissioners have no role in determining how the case is handled, but Commissioner Jan Callison asked the representative from the county attorney’s office to address the use of a grand jury. He confirmed that Jamar Clark’s case does not require a grand jury charging Schwarze and Ringgenberg. He confirmed that while the use of grand juries is the practice in police shootings, the county attorney can choose to charge and prosecute the killer cops directly.

Phone calls to the office continued throughout the week, demanding no grand jury. During a rally on March 11 at the Government Center, where Freeman’s office is located, a massive banner was dropped from a fifth floor bridge inside the building. Drawn by the daughter of a Coalition member, the banner includes a silhouette of a man on his knees and handcuffed, a policeman standing over him with a gun pointed at the man’s head. It reads, “If this isn't murder, what is? Justice4Jamar. No grand jury.” After some back-and-forth with building security, the banner stayed in place for some 30 minutes. Hundreds saw the banner, many stopping to listen to rally speeches.

One day before the protest, the county attorney's office had released a statement appealing for witnesses to the killing to come forward. The statement seemed to suggest that if a grand jury fails to indict, the community will be blamed for failing to report what they saw. This suggestion is rejected by Jamar Clark’s family and by community organizers, who have spoken to several witnesses who saw Jamar on the ground and handcuffed when police shot him in the head at point-blank range. There are also reports that police have acted to intimidate potential witnesses. James Clark and others see the move as part of an attempt to cover up police crimes.

The rally included speakers dedicated to winning Justice for others killed at the hands of police. Monique Cullars Doty, the aunt of Marcus Golden, who was killed by Saint Paul police in January 2015, challenged those present to continue protesting: “Put pressure on the neck of the system, and eventually they'll cough up justice.”

The Coalition plans to mobilize for another Freeman Friday this week, noon at the Hennepin County Government Center. Supporters continue to call Freeman’s office, urging no grand jury in this case. A community meeting is planned for Saturday, March 19 at noon (location TBA).

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[ckaihatsu]

White supremacist who shot Minneapolis protesters makes court appearance

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By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN - Allen “Lance” Scarsella appeared in court here, March 15, charged with first degree assault, second degree riot, and five counts of second degree assault with a firearm resulting in substantial bodily harm, for his part in the November shooting of five people protesting the police killing of Jamar Clark. Scarsella faces a maximum sentence of 55 years.

Scarsella, wearing handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit from the county jail, was escorted into the courtroom by two deputies. He appeared to have no friends or family in the court room, as the seats were filled with a dozen people who had come to support the young men he’d fired on.

The prosecutor was the first to address the court, expressing support for a defense motion to delay the proceedings to allow them more time to review the mountain of evidence. Judge Hilary Caligiuri granted the request, setting the next court appearance for June 13.

The shooting took place after Scarsella and the others had repeatedly visited the encampment outside the Fourth Precinct Police Station, hurling racist comments and other verbal harassment at protesters. In addition to being caught on tape by protesters, the white supremacists made and posted online their own videos of these encounters, along with threats to return.

As the defense asks for more time to sift through this and other evidence, the community questions the failure of the prosecution to use that evidence to bring heavier charges against what are clearly premeditated and violent hate crimes.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

[ckaihatsu]

No charges filed against killer cops who murdered Jamar Clark

By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN - All eyes were on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman today, March 30, as he announced “criminal charges are not warranted” against police officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze for the shooting death of Jamar Clark. The room and the hallway outside were packed with Clark’s family members and their supporters, who immediately denounced his decision and called for the community to take to the streets and keep up the fight for justice.

After Freeman spent some time praising himself for transparency and reviewing legal statutes related to his decision, most of his presentation outlined a one-sided police version. He claimed that Clark was acting aggressively, resisting arrest and trying to take an officer’s gun. According to Freeman, when Ringgenberg felt his utility belt slip, he told his partner that Clark was going for his gun. Ringgenberg repeatedly said, “He has got my gun,” and urged him Schwarze to shoot Clark. Freeman narrated the video clips he showed, but Jamar Clark’s supporters didn’t buy his story.

Pastor Danny Givens, “The video that I watched showed a Jamar Clark that looked concerned about his girlfriend. The video that I watched showed a Jamar Clark that looked tempered. The video that I watched didn’t show a Jamar Clark beating on the door or irate or uncontrollable. The video that I saw didn’t show a Jamar Clark resisting arrest.”

Discounting more than a dozen eyewitnesses who said they saw Clark handcuffed, Freeman’s decision rested entirely on the testimony of police and paramedics. Paramedics who were first on the scene were in their vehicle during the police confrontation with Clark. The others arrived after he was killed. Police say they found handcuffs open, on the grass near Clark’s body, but Ringgenberg and Schwarze claim they never got them on.

Reisha Williams of the NAACP said, “Whether he was handcuffed or not does not give you clearance to kill somebody. He was on the ground, he was already restrained, he had two physical men on top of him. So whether he was handcuffed or not is not the reason why he should have been murdered.”

Freeman also repeated several times that Clark’s last words, as Schwarze held a gun to his mouth, were, “I’m ready to die.” His cousin, Cameron Clark, found this claim unbelievable. “I know he wouldn’t say that, and I know he wouldn’t grab a gun.” He said Jamar had a new job and was turning his life around shortly before he was killed. Giving voice to the determination of many to continue the fight for justice for Jamar Clark, he said, “We’re not running. We can’t have this. We have to get justice.”

Later today, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar Clark will hold an emergency rally at 5:00 p.m. at James and Plymouth Avenues North, in Minneapolis. A memorial has been maintained there, the place Clark was killed. Organizers will rally with the North Minneapolis community to demand prosecution of the police. Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and the Black Liberation Project also have plans for a “Post Announcement Gathering,” at Elliot Park in downtown Minneapolis.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

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Feds cover up police killing of Jamar Clark, community renews fight for justice

By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN - Anger at the police killing of Jamar Clark will fuel more protests, as demands for justice are renewed by the June 2 announcement that there will be no federal charges against the police who killed him last November. U.S. Attorney Andy Luger announced the results of a federal investigation in this case, speaking for 20 minutes at a closed-door press conference at the FBI headquarters in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis.

He and Minneapolis FBI director Richard Thornton claimed that hundreds of hours of investigation failed to produce evidence that the killing of the unarmed African American 24-yea- old man was unlawful. This press conference, much like that of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s at the end of March, was dedicated to all the ways a defense attorney could work to exonerate the police who killed Clark 61 seconds after arriving on the scene.

First, they “concluded Clark was not handcuffed when shot.” According to Luger, witness accounts differed on whether Clark was handcuffed in front or behind his back, while police said he was not handcuffed. Investigators then turned to forensic evidence, which he said was “not conclusive.” There was “insufficient DNA for identification” on the handcuffs, and the medical examiner had not found bruising on Clark’s wrists, which “might have corroborated witness accounts.” Luger’s presentation suggests that the police killing of unarmed individuals is legal, so long as there are no handcuffs on.

As an explanation of this, he reported that both officers involved claimed that they “feared for their lives,” and that investigators uncovered no evidence to “disprove these statements.” To bolster this claim, Luger says, “On video, Ringgenberg appears to be struggling to get away from Clark, reaching for his [own] belt.” Referring to the video released by Freeman’s office in March, Luger fails to address that seconds earlier, Ringgenberg had grabbed Clark around the neck from behind and slammed him to the ground, in a take-down maneuver that is not sanctioned by the Minneapolis Police Department.

Finally, despite reports that Jamar Clark’s fingerprints were never found on Ringgenberg’s gun, Luger once again parrots the tired line of Mike Freeman: Clark’s DNA was found on the gun. He acknowledges this is inconclusive, and they cannot determine how his DNA got onto the gun. The video offers evidence of the simplest answer: The gun likely brushed against Clark when he was taken down violently and pinned to the ground, seconds before Ringgenberg told his partner to shoot.

Mayor Betsy Hodges and MPD Chief Janee Harteau both made public statements endorsing the findings. Lieutenant Bob Kroll, president of the police federation, criticized both for supporting the investigations that “victimized” the killer cops. He went further, characterizing Black Lives Matter as a “terrorist organization,” for its part in leading some of the protests demanding justice for Jamar. Kroll is well-known as an open racist with a long record of brutality both on the job and off duty.

Family and community were shaken, but not surprised, by Thursday’s announcement. They are responding with action.

On Friday, June 3, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar Clark (TCC4J) will hold its 17th consecutive Friday action in the Hennepin County Government Center. Jamar’s father, James Clark and others will speak, continuing to demand Justice for Jamar Clark via prosecution of the Minneapolis Police Department by any means necessary. Clark has described the Justice Department investigation as a “cover-up” that dismisses countless witnesses and video that show Jamar was not resisting police when he was thrown to the ground and then shot in the head. He says Freeman and the FBI should be prosecuted themselves, as accessories-after-the-fact, in the murder of his son.

On Saturday, June 4, TCC4J will stand with Justice4MarcusGolden at “Blue Lies Matter: Marcus Golden's 26th B-Day Solidarity Rally.” The rally will celebrate the life of Marcus Golden, who was killed by Saint Paul police in January 2015. When lives are stolen by police violence, the victims are framed as responsible for their own deaths, and the killers go free. Organizers say it is time speak truth over the “blue lies.” The action will remember Marcus and Jamar, as well as others killed by area police: Terrance Franklin, Phil Quinn, Fong Lee, Michael Kirvelay, Victor Gaddy, Guillermo Canas, Quincy Smith and Map Kong.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

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Fight for Jamar Clark continues

http://www.fightbacknews.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/article-lead-photo/jamaroct24.jpg

By Jess Sundin

Minneapolis, MN - Few were surprised here on Friday, Oct. 21, when MPD Chief Jenee Harteau announced that the department had cleared its own officers of wrongdoing in the killing of 24-year-old Jamar Clark almost a year ago. With Mayor Betsy Hodges at her side, the chief regurgitated the same defense offered by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman when he announced in March that he would not prosecute the cops who killed Jamar.

Harteau opened with the false claim that “DNA evidence does show Clark grabbed Officer Ringgenberg’s holster and gun.” Jamar’s DNA was found there, but his finger prints were not. Following Freeman’s earlier use of this same ‘evidence,’ independent sources explained that DNA can be transferred both from direct contact, but also from someone or something touching the gun after first touching Clark. That Ringgenberg had thrown Clark to the ground and landed on top of him was clearly enough contact to transfer that DNA, without Jamar reaching for or touching the gun at all.

When Freeman did his March presentation, he had played video from the night of Jamar’s killing. Many were deeply disturbed to see Ringgenberg wrap his arm around Jamar from behind, suddenly and violently throwing him to the ground. That decision is what led Ringgenberg to claim he’d lost control of his gun, as he laid flailing on top of Jamar. Ringgenberg then urged his partner to shoot Jamar. Schwarze obliged, putting the gun to Jamar’s head, and firing. Freeman did not address that takedown in his defense of the officers.

Family and community members have challenged the takedown as unnecessary and in violation of MPD policies. Harteau responded that it is wrong describe the maneuver as a “choke hold,” and dismissed the concerns, “While this may not be a specific technique the MPD instructs, that does not mean it was unauthorized.” She continued, “Therefore, the use of deadly force was warranted given the fact that both officers feared for the loss of life based on the belief that Clark was either in possession of the officer’s handgun or would imminently be in possession of the officer’s handgun if not stopped immediately.”

For months, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar has railed against the “61-second cover-up.” Activists say Jamar was killed when police arrived on the scene, where no crime had occurred, and where there was no threat. In 61 seconds, they escalated this to a situation where they claim they had to shoot an unarmed man.

This clearly bothered Harteau, who countered, “I would also like to address the ‘often-cited’ timeframe of 61 seconds. Every single day, police officers face quickly escalating situations where suspects refuse to comply with orders. In this case, despite being ordered to take his hands out of his pockets, Jamar Clark refused to do so. These officers did not have the opportunity to negotiate or tactically withdraw, which is the same conclusion the county attorney issued.” She made no effort to explain what they needed to negotiate, or why they might withdraw, from a man who posed no threat. The community is asked to accept that Jamar Clark was justifiably killed because his hands stayed in his pockets.

The chief claimed she made the announcement after meeting to discuss the findings with Jamar Clark’s family, but Jamar’s parents had not been contacted. Rather, the late Friday news seemed timed to limit community response.

Rather than waiting around to hear that the MPD had cleared itself of wrongdoing, the community organizing around Jamar Clark’s case is going strong. Just the day before, on Oct.20, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) crashed a Hennepin County Bar Association forum on “Race, Policing, and Justice”. Saying forums are not the answer to police murder, activists called for the disbarment of metro area county prosecutors that have failed to hold police accountable for their crimes. The Jamar Clark case is just one example.

“They are accomplices to murder, abusing their offices and serving as the first line of legal defense for killer cops,” said activists who interrupted the forum. They continued, “In every case of police killings of civilians here in Hennepin County, Mike Freeman has been unwilling to carry out the duties of prosecutor, and bring charges against the officers involved in at least 50 cases under his tenure. Rather than ask for independent prosecutors to bring charges, Freeman has used grand juries or taken it upon himself to shield officers from prosecution. Freeman and his counterparts across the metro, like those around the country, give legal cover to an epidemic of racist police crimes. They are killing us!”

Not content to protect the killer cops in Hennepin County, Mike Freeman also involved himself in the handling of the murder of Philando Castile in neighboring Ramsey County. Freeman recommended ‘independent’ attorney Don Lewis to assist Ramsey County Attorney John Choi in that decision, which is still pending. Don Lewis is the same attorney who helped the MPD get off for the assault of Black community activist, Al Flowers, last year. Don Lewis has a resume filled with helping bosses and corporations avoid legal liability for their behavior. TCC4J’s S. Sanchez says, “We have little faith that Don Lewis will make any difference in John Choi’s decision in prosecution of Officer Yanez for the murder of Philando Castile. If John Choi goes against his history of more than 17 failures to prosecute for police crimes, it will fall in line with precedent of only bringing charges against officers that are women and people of color.”

TCC4J is working with others in the Twin Cities to organize an emergency response when Choi announces plans for Philando’s case, beginning with at 6 p.m. rally at JJ Hill Elementary School where he worked.

At the same time, organizing continues around Jamar Clark. James Clark said of his son, “There can never be justice for Jamar, but maybe we can win justice through Jamar.” In that spirit, one year after Jamar’s murder and the mobilizations that demanded justice, TCC4J is organizing a week of actions, to fight for Jamar, and all those lives stolen by police crimes against. Event details are being posted here - http://www.facebook.com/events/1211604272229645/

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]

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Activists shut down panel about transparency in law enforcement (http://fightbacknews.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a29530af96a02fc55d345e735&id=b7c7faef9a&e=d323598fe4)

By Loretta VanPelt

Minneapolis, MN - On Dec. 3, community members and activists gathered at Wayman AME Church in North Minneapolis for a panel discussion about how to “bring back transparency in law enforcement.” Panelists included Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, police federation President Lt. Bob Kroll, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Deputy Kellace McDaniel and Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. All were unprepared for the heat they got from the crowd assembled in the church.

Activists who have done work around the Jamar Clark case were ready to ask the hard questions, especially of Bob Kroll and Mike Freeman. The discussion started out with ten pre-selected questions, and then those present were able to ask questions. But an hour in, that was not to be.

Bob Kroll was challenged for his affiliation with City Heat, a white supremacist motorcycle gang, and for his public statements calling Black Lives Matter protesters “terrorists.”

Asked about his biggest regret being a prosecutor, Mike Freeman stated that using grand juries in other police shootings was a mistake and that going forward, since the Jamar Clark case, he will no longer use grand juries. The audience asked him why his biggest regret was not his failure to charge a single officer in 52 cases of police murdering innocent people under his watch. James Clark, Jamar’s father, confronted Freeman about his son’s case and the racism he sees from law enforcement in the community every day. Dennis Cherry, Sr., a witness to the Clark murder, asked why the accounts of two dozen Black witnesses were ignored in Freeman’s decision not to prosecute Clark’s killers.

Activists challenged Freeman on the case of white supremacists who shot five young men during the Fourth Precinct occupation. Cameron Clark, who was wounded in the attack, was present at the event. Chauntyll Allen asked Freeman why he sat with the family of one of the shooters during a bail hearing. Freeman denied this, but several audience members took to their feet, saying they had seen him with their own eyes.

Moments later the panel left, not wanting to hear the truth. Those who attended did not believe that any transparency happened. In the words of one audience member, it was a “dog and pony,” show.

The meeting took place just blocks from where Jamar Clark was shot by two Minneapolis officers on November 15, 2015.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]