National Office of the October 22nd Coalition for a National Day of Protest
to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation
Newsletter #2
November 1, 1998
Hours: 12-5 Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat 6 -9 p.m. Tues, Thurs eves
Phone: 212 477-8062 Fax: 212 477 8015
Email: Oct22@unstoppable.com
Contents:
Overview
Highlights
Reports from the Areas
Next Steps
NCC Members
October 22nd, 1998, marked a giant step forward in the fight to stop police brutality, repression and the criminalization of a generation.
More people came out in more cities, a much greater variety of organizations and individuals participated in the marches, rallies and meetings, and the message got out stronger than ever before.
In some places the coalition had to advance in the face of government repression. In NYC, many people and organizations joined together to fight hard and successfully against Mayor Guiliani's threats and attempts to deny a permit, and over 3,000 came out on October 22nd. In Chicago, over 70 youth waiting to take the buses from Carbrini Green Housing Project were swarmed over by a dozen police officers, illegally searched, ID'd, verbally abused, and intimidated from taking the buses -- a vicious act that has to be opposed by our entire coalition. In San Diego, police arrested 15 demonstrators. And in Washington, D.C., cops raided an NDP concert, arresting four and knocking a young woman unconscious.
Despite this, NDP (National Day of Protest) broke through to the evening news in over a dozen cities and in many places was the talk of the town. Coverage ran on CNN Headline News, USA Today, and a lengthy piece on Telemundo, a national Spanish language news station. Our basic slogan began to emerge as a dividing line question. NDP set off broad debate and discussion. It changed how a lot of people see this issue, activating many new people, and breaking down the isolation of the millions who face this epidemic every day, from the biggest cities to the smallest towns and colonias.
As we said last year, "October 22nd actions have succeeded in building the bridge for people to walk across--clergy, lawyers, artists, prominent people stand together with youth from the neighborhoods and families of victims and shout: NO MORE POLICE BRUTALITY! The October 22nd actions also stated loud and clear that this is a NATIONAL epidemic of police violence, and that people want to get organized to deal with it." This was even more true this year than ever.
* The October 22nd National Day of Protest has enabled the PARENTS of victims to have a platform from which to speak. Increasingly on a national scale, the parents' voices are being heard. Their voices are being granted more authority and their level of organization on a national scale is growing.
* There is a Generation of YOUTH stepping out, both from those directly under the gun of police brutality and those who want to stand with them to oppose it. Most areas are reporting up to half of their participants were youth, black, Latino, Asian, white, from the projects and from the high schools and colleges, loud, boisterous, energetic, defiant, militant, creative in their ways of protesting these outrages.
* The Student/Youth Network was formed after 1997's protests, at the December 1997 national meeting. The Student/Youth Network spoke in many college and high school classrooms, distributed 100's of their youth organizing packets, and brought out thousands of participants to the October 22, 1998 events.
* The Faith Initiative came into being after the July 1998 national meeting. The Faith Letter was taken out to many religious leaders and communities.
* Press conferences held in New York and Los Angeles to announce the new research for the Stolen Lives Project showed the extent and depth of support for this important work to collect and document the names of victims of murder by law enforcement. The New York Stolen Lives press conference was hosted by the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is nationally known for its contributions to the fight against police brutality. In Los Angeles, well known police brutality victim Rodney King lent his support to efforts to publicize Stolen Lives. Amnesty International issued a statement in support of the Stolen Lives Project, and representatives of Amnesty International spoke at the San Francisco and Los Angeles October 22nd actions. Throughout society, the Stolen Lives Project is increasingly becoming known as a major tool with which to expose and fight police brutality.
* National press that covered NDP included: AP, Reuters, CNN Headline News, BET (Real News Teen Summit), Telemundo, USA Today, Bloomberg, Revolutionary Worker, The Final Call, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily, The World Journal (Chinese), XXL, and Rap Pages.
* The showing of the public service announcement (PSA) videos on BET (Black Entertainment Television) touched many people in many diverse geographical regions who would not possibly have received a leaflet or seen a poster. On October 19th, the day Ozomatli's psa was aired, the National Office of October 22nd received 32 calls within 2 minutes, from people in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, areas where there is no organized October 22nd presence. The public service announcement videos generated public awareness of the issue of police brutality, and also resulted in many new organizational ties, such as the woman in Jackson, Mississippi who organized a house meeting, pizza party and discussion on police brutality, after calling in on the 1-888-No Brutality number.
* The role played by cultural events in building the National Day of Protest was outstanding. In Los Angeles, the ARTSPEAKS event, organized by the artists network of Refuse and Resist! reached out to over 1000 people. For days and weeks afterward, calls were still coming in to the National Office on the 1-888-No Brutality phone from people who had been moved into action by it. Cleveland held a very successful "URBAN VOICES" show on October 2nd, organized by Refuse and Resist! and Urban Guerilla Poets . In Philadelphia, a benefit concert for October 22nd, called Edutainment II, was presented on October 11th by people who are supporters of Mumia, October 22nd, and Refuse and Resist! Performing artists wore October 22nd Tshirts onstage. In Washington, D.C., Detroit, Michigan, and Atlanta, Georgia , cultural events were held on October 22nd as a major part of their October 22nd activities.
* Immigrants and immigrants rights organizations participated in several cities.
A statement from Mexico from Maria Aguilera, widow of the immigrant killed by border patrol on September 26th, was read at the Los Angeles demo.
* Appreciation is in order for every single person and organization, large and small, who all worked so hard to make this day happen.
Our Mission Statement says: "The National Day of Protest was initiated by a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals. We came together out of our concern that the peoples' resistance to police brutality needed to be taken to a higher level nationwide. The National Day of Protest aims to bring forward a powerful, visible, national protest against police brutality and the criminalization of a generation. It aims to expose the state's repressive program. It aims to bring forward those most directly under the gun of police brutality AND to also reach into all parts of society-- bringing forward others to stand in the fight against this official brutality. And the National Day of Protest aims to strengthen the people's organized capacity for resistance in a variety of ways."
The reports received by the National Office from areas participating in the October 22nd activities reflects this unity of many diverse groups coming together for this purpose. We also know, based on our experiences of the past two years, that there were many more incidents of people wearing black in schools or workplaces, or other protests, than we were able to collect as of the time of this report. We encourage everyone to continue to send in the stories that they hear, along with pictures, press clippings, or videotapes on the October 22nd events.
Albuquerque, New Mexico: 50 people from New Mexico Vecinos United, Food not Bombs, the UNM Hemp Coalition, the UNM Progressive Student Alliance, Latinos Unidos, and more, marched from the University of New Mexico to the Albuquerque Police Department. They demanded that the Mayor's Office meet with them about a police officer that the police department refused to dismiss, and that they get a civilian review board. They were granted the meeting and won the civilian review board. Press refused to cover them, and refused to acknowledge that they were part of a National Day of Protest.
Atlanta: 125 youth of different nationalities held a rally at Woodruff Park, They passed out 3 x 5 cards with names of people from the Stolen Lives book to the crowd. During the rally, people came up and placed the cards in a huge coffin, as poetry and speeches were given. An evening cultural event was held at Club Jaguar's, a local nightclub. About 100 peope came to this event. The program opened with a piece on the Stolen Lives Project, with a narrator reading from the Stolen Lives book and 3 poets "rising from the dead" to tell their stories. A number of popular underground hip hop artists and poets continued the powerful show for another 2 hours. Local ABC,CBS, NBC, and Fox TV stations, ABC radio affiliate, Georgia News Network radio, V 103 radio, and WRFG gave coverage. The taped PSA also ran on WRFG several times, and many DJ's read a written PSA.
Baltimore, Maryland: 30 people rallied and read names from the Stolen Lives book. Bill Goodman, from Friends of Eddie Conway, spoke about political prisoners and repression. Cops showed up, told people they didn't have a permit, tried to get them to take down their banners and literature. People refused, the cops went away.
Boca Raton, Florida: The Amnesty International chapter at Atlantic high school marked the day by wearing black. They passed out 90 black armbands before they ran out of armbands. At a class break, they videotaped students talking aobut their experiences with police brutality. They passed out a questionnaire to teachers, and they are writing an article for their school newspaper. In nearby Spanish River High School, two students were "busted for possession" of leaflets and given detention, prevented from organizing the Day.
Boston, Mass: 100 people came to an outdoor rally at Park Street Station, where they had an open mike. People came up from the crowd to speak. They marched to the police station in the downtown area, where they read the names from the Stolen Lives book at another rally. At one point the police harassed them, but nothing came of it. Speakers at the rallies included a Native American man from the Thanksgiving protests at Plymouth, Mass; Lynn Voters Action; and Betty Johnson, whose son was killed by police.
Boulder, Colorado: 70 students from the University of Colorado at Boulder attended speakouts on both October 20th and October 21st. The organizers of the event had received a youth/student packet at the Critical Resistance conference in Berkeley. On the 22nd, people from Boulder went up to join the march in Denver.
Chicago: 500 protestors marched through downtown Chicago. A spirited march led by a group of young bucket drummers from Robert Taylor Homes wound its way around City Hall and along State Street before returning to Daley Plaza Victims of police brutality and the families of victims were prominently featured. Speakers included: George Morris, the father of Kevin Morris who was gunned down by police earlier this year; Ilsa Guillen, the wife of Jorge Guillen who was beaten and suffocated by police in 1995; Shirley Alejos who suffered a severe beating several years ago; Ina Carter, mother of 19 year old Richie Pack who was dragged from his wheel chair and thrown into a pillar by police and later died. Victims and the families of victims were given red carnations and a certificate that honored them for their role in the struggle against police brutality. Following the speeches of victims and families of victims over 200 black balloons were released into the air to commemorate the hundreds of stolen lives that have been taken by police. Police with guns drawn swarmed down on youth from Cabrini Green Housing Projects who were waiting to take buses to the protests, forcing them onto their knees and spread-eagling them against buildings, preventing them from going to the protest. This blatant act of repression and attempt to silence the vioices of CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) residents who face police brutality every day, cannot go unanswered.
Chico, California: 15 people from the Food Not Bombs, Chico Peace and Justice Center, Social Action Network, Progressive Student Union and others marched from a downtown park to the Trinity Methodist Church for a prayer circle. From there, they went to Chico News and Review, and ended up at Chico State University at the free speech area. Food Not Bombs gave out a pocket copwatch guide, which shows people what to do if the police stop you or abuse you. Speeches referred to the private prison being built in nearby Oreville, as an example of the criminalization of a generation. Local TV covered the march well, and Radio KHSL Chico had coverage of the event.
Cleveland, Ohio: 125-150 people rallied at the Justice Center. Prisoners inside showed their support by pounding on the walls. The youth honor guard for the families wore sashes. Marchers carried coffins covered with names from the Stolen Lives book. Speakers included: William Horton, father of Steven Horton; Jack Blair, family of Michael Pippin; and Chuck Fowler, family of victim of police; Zizwe; a representative from the Plymouth 25; the People's Fight Back Committee; poets; Urban Guerilla Poets; a representative from the Million Youth March; Refuse and Resist!; and the Revolutionary Communist Party. Food Not Bombs provided food. News coverage included WCPN (local NPR); Channel 5; and a major article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Columbia, Missouri: 10 people showed a film about MOVE and had a discussion on police brutality. People going home after the event were stopped by cops, who said to them, "You look like you're on drugs", and had a dog come out and sniff the car.
Columbus, Ohio: 200 people came to a rally starting at noon at the State Capitol Building. People read out all the names in the Stolen Lives book, interspersed with 3 bands playing. Some people from the police intelligence unit came by and tried to videotape some of the participants, but people videotaped them back and they left. At 4:00 there was a rally at the State House where survivors of police brutality spoke, along with representatives from NAACP, African Student Union, Police Officers for Equal Rights, and more. Then they marched from the State House to City Hall and to the police station. Later they attended an anti-police brutality punk and hip hop show at ROOTS.
Connecticut College, Conn.: About 10 people attended an organizing meeting, where the Amnesty International report was presented. The evening of October 21, activists drew about 40 chalk outlines of bodies all over campus, and wrote names from the Stolen Lives book inside them. For 20 of those, they put in the details of the stories. The actions were covered in an editorial in the school newspaper, and activists made plans to do something about police brutality during Human Rights week in December.
Dallas, Texas: There was a performance of an anti-brutality play by a church group in an outside theatre area.
DeAnza College,Cupertino,California: brought a car caravan to the San Francisco march.
Denver, Colorado: 30 people marched from the Civic Center to Police Headquarters. The march involved the ACLU and a theater group -- Real People's Court -- that satirizes what takes place in court.
Detroit: Jim Lafferty, of the National Lawyers Guild, and Arnetta Grable's daughter spoke at the 4 p.m. rally, attended by 80 people, held at the City-County Building. At an evening rally - cultural event attended by 150 people , a woman spoke whose grandmother, blind, deaf and with Alzheimer's disease, had been shot by cops for holding a knife, when the cops broke into their house.
Drew University, New Jersey: brought a busload to the New York march.
Greensboro, North Carolina: 50 people, some wearing black, including many supporters of the October 22nd coalition, jammed the courtroom on October 22nd, expressing their outrage over the killing of Daryl Howarton, who was gunned down by two Greensboro cops four years ago. It has taken that long for the case to come to trial. October 22nd activists are also joining with others to protest the U.S. Marine/Greensboro police helicopter manuevers and landings in the black community.
Greenville, NC: 40 people marched with the Federation of Partisans Against Police. Two TV stations, the local paper and student newspapers covered the march.
Hampton Roads, Virginia: 50-60 people showed up for a rally in Lafayette Park on Saturday, October 24th. A speaker from the Washington D.C. October 22nd group spoke, along with someone from Hampton Roads ARA. Many people attended because of their outrage over the recent shooting of Ed Reed, which had happened the week before. Ed was a security guard at a club. A SWAT team came along to raid the club, and startled him. He raised his arm, and they shot him 12 times. During the rally, people read from the Stolen Lives book. Several people from the community said that they wanted to set up a showing of the PSA tapes, perhaps at a barbershop or some gathering place, and have a discussion over police brutality. The event was covered by Channel 3 news local.
Houston: 500 people rallied in a downtown Houston park, three days after a Harris County Grand Jury refused to charge the six police who murdered Pedro Oregon with nine shots in the back, except for one charge of criminal trespass against one cop!! Hundreds of people chanting, "No Justice, No Peace" and dressed in black were beamed over the airways "Live at Five" on several Spanish and English T.V. stations. Many of them later marched to the new downtown police station and gave it the proper dedication that it deserves. There, several families spoke bitterly of their loved ones whose lives were stolen by the H.P.D. A real highlight for everyone was that two younger sisters of Jose Campos Torres were there to speak out. His 1977 Cinco de Mayo beating and drowning by six Houston cops sparked the Moody Park Rebellion one year later. In the days leading up to the rally, there was a media frenzy with politicians calling for calm and non-violence as they openly worried about a repeat of the Moody Park Rebellion. There was widespread anger and outrage over the refusal of the grand jury to charge the police with murder. In the face of english and spanish radio talk show hosts trying to whip up hysteria about Travis Morales (a well known supporter of the RCP who was accused of inciting the Moody Park Rebellion and has played a leading role in the movement for Justice for Pedro Oregon) and the danger of violence, all kinds of people showed up. There were black youth from Third Ward, the Nation of Islam, ACLU, National Lawyers Guild, anarchist punk youth, Mexican and Central American immigrants, revolutionary communists, suburban high school students, social workers, New Black Muslims, Northside barrio vatos, immigrant rights activists, members of the Pedro Oregon Justice Coalition, MECha, and others. Speakers were: Mother and aunt of Uvaldo Amendariz Garcia, killed by HPD 9/97 for supposedly threatening them with a metal folding chair; family of Otis Charles Cooks, shot dead by HPD,8/8/96; Billie Duncan, MC, poet and member of Oct 22 coalition; Antonio Soria, Jr., northside poet; Ray Hill, producer/host of "The Prison Show", KPFT Pacifica radio; U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, Congresswoman, 18th Congressional District; Annica Gorham, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Atzlan, University of Houston; Judge Al Green, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7, Place 2; Mario Caballero, National Lawyers Guild; Paul Maciekowich, President of the Board, East Texas Region of the ACLU; Anthony Freddie, Gary Grahaam Justice Coalition; Maria Jimenez, AFSC Immigration Law Enforcement Monitoring Project; Juan Muhammad, Nation of Islam; Johnny Mata, District Council Director of the League of United Latin American citizens; Judge Alfred Hernandez (retired); Quannel X, leader of the New Black Muslims; Travis Morales, supporter of the Revolutionary Communist Party and member of the National Council of La Resistencia. Coverage included: 6 p.m. lead story on all four English and both Spanish TV stations that have local news. Several of them carried it "Live at Five".
Institute, West Virginia: 50 people attended a forum on police brutality. Speakers included U.S. Attorney Chuck Miller, Reverend James Murray, Rev. Homer Davis, President of Charleston West Virginia NAACP, and more.
Jackson, Mississippi: A young woman who contacted the National Office of Oct. 22nd via the 1-888-No Brutality number on October 20th after viewing a public service announcement video (PSA) on BET, made an announcement in her high school the next day. On October 22nd, many of the high school students wore black, and that evening she and her friends held a pizza party/ discussion on police brutality at her home, using the national October 22nd materials and showing the videotape of the October 22nd public service announcements that she had just received via express mail. It's never too late to get started!
Kansas City, Missouri: Eleven people of different nationalities, including 3 youth from Johnson County (predominantly white, rich area) rallied at the Freedom Fountain. Cars going by honked and cheered; a busload of kids yelled their support. At the rally, people read off the names from the Stolen Lives Project.
Kent State, Ohio: More than 100 people marched from the student center to the state on the corner of Main and Water Streets. Speakers included representatives from Masses United for Democratic Rights, a Kent State professor in Pan-African studies, Coalition of Animal Rights and the Environment, and more . On the 19th and 20th, they had an info table in the Kent State Student Center, sold copies of Stolen Lives and Oct 22 buttons, and showed videos of police brutality. On the 21st and 22nd in the afternoon, they held small rallies with a loud sound system pumping out the sounds of Schematic and Natural Selector's new mix tape, and speakers promoting the evening event. The demonstration was the lead story on Fox News in Cleveland, and the promos for that story ran throughout the 48 Hours broadcast.
Lincoln, Nebraska: 30-40 people attended the rally. Frank LaMere spoke about people killed by police in Lincoln: Kimberly Frazier, Seth Whiteface, Francisco Renteria. Other speakers included: Matt LeMuix of the Nebraska ACLU; Dianne Myers, Lincoln Justice Committee; Lisa Sock, Amnesty International Nebraska Coordinator; Dan Williams, Citizens against Racism.
Louisville, Kentucky: 100 people attended a demonstration organized by The Kentucky Alliance against Racism & Political Repression, the Nation of Islam, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Louisville Anti-Racist Action. Speakers included poets from Java House, a professor of African-American Studies at the University of Louisville, the director of the Kentucky ACLU, the Rev. Louis Coleman, Ron Whitehead, and speakers One of the organizers for the event had gotten a student/youth packet at the Critical Resistance conference in Berkeley. Cop cars circled the event constantly, but did not harass people. The event was covered by one local news station and a campus paper.
Los Angeles, CA: A multi-national and spirited crowd of 1600 people, almost entirely in black, marched up Broadway to Parker Center, LAPD Headquarters. The Watts Committee Against Police Brutality came in by bus from the projects and brought much energy and spirit with their drum ucorp, which also included members of OZOMATLI, and the chant, "We're Fired Up! Ain't Takin' No More!" The march was very youthful -- from over 50 schools -- and also included the Aztec Dancers, a Stolen Lives truck, a large puppet and many contingents, including Families to Amend California's Three Strikes (FACTS), the Artist Network of Refuse & Resist (with graffitti art made at Art Speaks), several immigrant rights groups and Food Not Bombs. The October 22nd Student/Youth network had done 42 speaking engagements in high schools and colleges in the period immediately preceding the demonstration, and they saw whole classes of students that they had spoken to at the demonstration. Protesters carried posters with pictures of people who have been murdered by police and wore black ribbons with their names. A highlight of the rally came when all 1600 people turned around to face Parker Center and shouted repeatedly "Murderers, Murderers, Murderers, No More!" in English and Spanish. Speakers included Amnesty International, the Central American Resource Center (CARACEN), a statement by the ACLU-Southern California, poet Jerry Quickly, Tony Muhammad of the Western Region of the Nation of Islam, and a statement from Mexico from Maria Aguilera, widow of the immigrant killed by border patrol on September 26th. Family members spoke of their loved ones murdered by the police and their determination to put a stop to it. The march and rally was covered extensively all day long, on every major LA station except CBS (9 stations in total!), including 3 Spanish stations. The march and rally also made the front page of the Metro section of the LA Times and the front page of the Ciudad section of La Opinion, both with color pictures.
Lynn, Mass: Family, friends and supporters of Elijah Johnson, a 33 year old black man who died under suspicious circumstances in a police holding cell on June 1998, held a vigil.
Miami, Florida: 35 people spoke at a press conference and community speak-out. Statements were read about the Stolen Lives Project and the Carl Williams murder. Several people spoke out about the Bobby Wipple case, who was shot 28 times while changing a tire with a sock on his hand to keep his clothes clean. The event was sponsored by The Coalition against Police Brutality and Harassment, Refuse and Resist!, and Brothers of the Same Mind. People from Mothers United for Justice, the Socialist Workers Party, and the ACLU also participated. Channel 7, Fox affiliate, covered the event. Another 15 people rallied at Florida International University in Miami.
Mills College, Oakland: brought a car caravan to the San Francisco demo.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: 300 people, a strong mix of African -American, Asian, Hispanic and white, marched to the police station. Along the way, they stopped at the biggest intersection for 20 minutes; then later stopped at another busy intersection for 20-30 minutes, chanting, making speeches, and engaging on-lookers. At the police station, they unfurled the Stolen Lives banner and held a Memorial service for people who had died. Food Not Bombs served food.
Monterey, California: 16-20 people, about one-half of them from the Women's International Peace and Freedom, held a vigil. They received very good local coverage from the local newspaper, and were interviewed on local TV.
New Brunswick, New Jersey: Over 100 residents and students came out for the rally sponsored by the New Jersey Freedom Organization and the Student Action Union of Rutgers University. The M.C. of the rally was Curtis Warren, keeper of what has come to be known as "The Tree", located on Powers St., marking the area where Carolyn "Sissy" Adams was gunned down by Officer James Consalvo. Organizations that participated in the event were, 100 Black of Rutgers University, Outloud, an experimental Queer theater/performance group that performed at the rally, Black Student Union, and LLEGO, Rutgers Latino/a Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual organization. A representative of Green Party congressional candidate Carl Mayer spoke, and local poet Lyric read for the crowd.
New Haven, Connecticut: 50-70 people came to a forum sponsored by the Malik organization, formed after the murder of Malik Jones by East Haven police. Earlier, 12-15 people from the New Haven Justice Committee in Support of Prisoners came to a rally at the courthouse. Professor Tony Russo, from Southern Connecticut State University presented October 22nd to two of his classes. And, earlier in the week, on Saturday October 17, 100 people attended a conference on Injustices, Police, Courts and Prisons, where Roger Wareham of the December 12th Movement put forward October 22nd and the Stolen Lives Project as the way to build a national movement.
New York, New York: Over 3000 people marched down Broadway from Union Square Park to City Hall. The multinational crowd was over l/2 youth, from many high schools and colleges in the area. Parents of victims led the march and spoke at the rally, surrounded by a youth honor guard. The crowd carried posters with the names and faces of people murdered by police. A large coffin, draped in black, for Matthew Shepard, was carried towards the front of the march by members of the gay and lesbian community. The crowd was marked by a strong anti-Mayor Guiliani, anti-repression spirit. Radio traffic reports warning people not to go down Broadway reported, "Protestors are chanting, "Guiliani is a fascist". Many protestors joined the march because they saw it as a way to express their anger over the restrictive, repressive climate in the city being generated from the Mayor's Office. A sharp, toe-to-toe battle with the Mayor's Office over the march permit had been well publicized in the days just before the march. On Monday, October 19th, a march from the gay and lesbian community protesting the death of Matthew Shepard had been viciously attacked by the police and 100 people arrested. The Mayor's office said that this was justified because the marchers did not have a permit, at the same time that they were denying a permit to the October 22nd Coalition. The October 22nd Coalition mobilized all its supporters, calling on all the New York endorsers and many prominent figures to fax and call the Mayor's Office with statements supporting their right to march. The October 22nd Coalition filed a lawsuit against the city, and held a press conference at the court. Johnnie Cochran, Gloria Steinem, and several notables sent statements of support, and ex-Mayor Dinkins spoke at the press conference. A federal court overturned the city's denial of the permit. Mayor Guiliani publicly denounced the decision, and appealed the court's decision. Once again the October 22nd Coalition mobilized its supporters and also took its case out broadly to the press. When the federal court rejected the city's appeal, on the morning of the 22nd, TV and radio news carried the news throughout the day, which encouraged many more people to come out to the march. In general the day itself and the permit battle before it was very well covered by the press. It appeared in/on: Daily Challenge, Daily News, Noticias del Mundo, El Diario, Impacto Latin News, NY Times, Newsday, Amsterdam News, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily, The Chinese Press, The World Journal (Chinese), Good Day New York (local FOX WNEW), FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC (all network news was only local affiliates), NY-1, Bronx 12, WXTU (41-Spanish), Telemundo, Univision, Ch. 63 (cable NYC, NJ), Ch. 67 (cable), MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Network), WNYC, WBAI, WLIB, WBLS, HOT 97, WCBS 880 am, WOR 710 am.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: About 20 people, dressed in black and waving signs, gathered at Oklahoma City police headquarters to chant and listen to a speaker from the ACLU, who had had a rented videotape confiscated from his home.
Ogden, Utah: 50 people marched through downtown to a park where they had an open mike. Speakers included Rev. Harris and the ACLU. They sold October 22nd buttons, gave out flyers, and read names from the Stolen Lives book over the bullhorn. Food Not Bombs served food. The campus newspaper covered their event.
Philadelphia: About 200 people, mainly youth, marched from Love Park through Center City, blocked traffic and wound up at Lynn Abraham's office. They went to the Clothespin Center across from City Hall, where names from the Stolen Lives book were projected on the wall. Youth had made about 100 Stolen Lives tombstones, which they left at Lynn Abrahams' doorstep. Some of the people from the Million Woman March came. MWM is having an event on 10/25 with a night candlelight vigil for those murdered by the Philly P.D. The media coverage on the event was very good. Three major TV stations; one black newspaper; one black radio station.
Phoenix, Arizona: 35 people demonstrated all day and all night. Beginning at 7 a.m. with networking and videotapings, about 25 members joined together with visitors from the State University School of Social Justice in testimonies and songs. At 10 a.m. they marched to the Phoenix Police Department, picked up 10 more people. Rally and testimonies were presented at the police station and at city hall. Channels 5,12,10 and 15 were present. Everyone attended an evening forum about police brutality.
Pittsburgh, Pa: 150 people, many of them youth, took part in a forum organized by Citizens for Police Accountability. Speakers from the National Council for Urban Peace and Justice, Citizens for Police Accountability, and representatives from families of victims spoke.
Portland, Oregon: About 350 people of various ages, races, and economic backgrounds took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, October 24th, in a march against police brutality. The march took the spirited, chanting, singing protesters about four miles from Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to the Justice Center steps downtown. Speakers included Dan Handelman from Portland Copwatch; Hannah Westphal of Amnesty International; Travis West, hit by a non-lethal "beanbag" shotgun during an August 17th protest; a representative of CAUSA 98, an immigrant rights group; and two families whose children had died at the hands of the police.
Reno, Nevada: The main organizer of the event was arrested and held in jail for 5 days previous to the event on $10,000 bail for alledgedly making a "misdemeanor phone call" to a public official. At this point, she does not think that this harassment was due to her involvement in October 22nd, but it did have the effect that she was not able to organize more than herself holding up signs in front of the State Capitol this year.
Rock Hill, South Carolina: An evening forum about police brutality was held at Winthrop University.
Sacramento, California: 250-300 people marched to the Capitol, where they held an open mike event.
Salt Lake City, Utah: 45 people held a march that ended in free speak-out in a park. A huge coffin, painted with the names of people killed by Utah police, followed by a huge Statue of Death, led the march. Channel 38 covered the event. Organizers of the event plan to put out a CD soon of poetry and music opposing police brutality.
Seattle: 250 people marched in the downtown area, stopping traffic at several intersections. Police and news helicopters followed them the entire time. The crowd, mostly youth, took over the streets, marching from the assembly point at a community college to the jail. Prisoners inside the jail showed their support for the rally by yelling and making noise. Local news coverage was excellent.
San Antonio: 30 people rallied in front of the police station, including youth, a representative from M.E.C. H.A., and people from the ACLU. The youth brought black bandannas for people to wear.
San Diego, California: A march from Pantoja Park which began with 160 people swelled to 250/300 people along the route of the march, which went to the Federal Building and then the police department. Along the route, the police kept people on the sidewalks by occasionally bumping into the crowd with their horses and their motorcycles. At the Federal Building, the banner which contained 200 black ribbons each with a name of a victim was unfurled, and marchers were invited to wear one for the duration of the action. The mother of Alejandro Mora Lopez & the wife of Oscar Cordova Velez, victims of Border Patrol excessive force, gave statements. The march proceeded, many people taking the streets instead of the sidewalks, to the police station, where more statements were read. As the march was ending, a young man was arrested for refusing to move his sign from in front of yellow police tape. Many protesters then sat down in front of the police station and began chanting for his release. The police came out, pointed to the most outspoken, and arrested 15 altogether. One young man who weighs less than 100 pounds was singled out and tackled, his face smashed on the concrete. Bleeding, he was handcuffed, sat in a chair, and left with no medical attention. One protester was asked to remove the stud from his lip piercing, and shown a large bolt cutter that the police said they could use on it. The events were covered by many local members of the media and two film crews and a newspaper from Tijuana.
San Jose, California: Brought a car caravan to the San Francisco demo.
San Francisco: Over 900 people, led by families of victims, surrounded by a youth honor guard gathered at 24th and Mission and marched to the Mission Police Station near where Mark Garcia had been pepper-sprayed to death 3 years ago,then marched to the Civic Center downtown. The march was joined by people who had car caravaned from San Jose, Sonoma County, and Santa Cruz. Speakers at the rallies included Amnesty International, John Cru from the ACLU Police Practice, Richard Montoya of Culture Clash, Bear Lincoln, Earth First! and representatives from the 11 families that helped organize the march. 30 students from U.C. Berkeley joined the march from an affirmative action rally that was happening there. Vendors at the San Francisco Flower Mart donated flowers for the families of victims. The rally ending with a reading of the names from the Stolen Lives book. Press coverage included: radio stations KKUP, KPOO, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Channel 4 (KRON- NBC), Channel 2 (KTVU), Channel 5, Channel 20 (Warner Brothers), SF Independent, World Journal (Chinese print media), Ch. 26 (Chinese speaking TV), Sing Tao Daily (Chinese print newspaper w/distribution to Hong Kong and Taiwan), SF Examiner, Channel 14 Univision (Spanish), Channel 48 Telemundo (Spanish), Ch. 30, and Radio Bilingual.
Santa Ana, California: 70 people came to a march around the civic center to the courthouse. Uniformed police in the black and white cars came to take pictures of people rallying. A Latino police officer, who is the director of Hispanic affairs in the Police Department, tried hard to show he was being open-minded and asked them to leave; they wouldn't until the police watch commander ordered them to disperse. People held a river of tears quilt, 60 panels, handmade two years ago by families of victims of police violence. Lots of people stopped to look at it and to sign up to get involved. Speakers included Tala Vera from the Stolen Lives Project in Los Angeles, community people, a family of a recent victim of police shooting. The event was covered by the OC Weekly, an independent weekly.
Santa Cruz, California: brought a car caravan to the San Francisco demo.
Springfield, Mass: 100-150 people attended a rally followed by a public speak-out. Featured speakers were Michael Zinzun and Rev. Talbert Swan II. The event was the top story on 2 of the local news stations, and 3rd or 4th story on the other ones. Police harassed Rev. Talbert Swan afterwards, calling him at his home, parking outside, and following him around.
Spokane, Washington: Multiple activities took place, including leafletting and speaking at high schools.
St. Louis, Missouri: 200 people marched around the city jail and then to police headquarters. Victims of families spoke. The rally released black balloons, naming people killed as each one was released. Organizers were very pleased with the march, which they said represented a real coalition, involving as many as 25 grass roots organizations in the planning.
Texas Valley near Brownsville: Press conferences held in three colonias (shantytowns/pueblos on U.S. side of the border). People wore black, explained why, linked it to national event, and had a moment of silence at the noon meal.
Waikiki, Hawaii: 110 people of different nationalities held a strong march through Waikiki to the Waikiki Police Department. Lots of people joined in at different periods. At first many tourists were shocked, but there was also lots of support with fists raised in the air from people hanging out windows of condominiums and hotels. Speakers included 3 families of victims of police murder.
Walla Walla, Washington: The Whitman College Black Student Union posted informative flyers throughout the community, calling for everyone to wear black. There was an informal panel set up outside of the Student Union Building during the day with handouts and other readings, in addition to personal testimony and suggestions for actions to take at the community and individual level. A good percent of the 1,350 person campus wore black, and black ribbons were handed out at the October 22nd station to those who were down for the cause, but forgot or didn't have black to wear.
Washington, D.C. A benefit concert at Club Soda, with bands Mutiny, Manix, the Casualities, organized by the October 22nd Coalition and Postive Force , was attacked by police. Thirty police and three FBI agents used the pretense of a "liquor violation" to stop the concert midway. Observers say that no alcohol was present Police then attacked many of the 200 high school and college aged youth in the audience with batons. Police knocked one woman unconscious, and arrested four others for "disorderly conduct". Youth from the concert fled out into the street, where 100 of them held a sit in demonstration on the access road in front of the club for 1 1/2 hours. Members of Refuse and Resist! and others read names out loud from the Stolen Lives book.
Worchester, Mass: On October 17, Iris Baez, Rev. Talbert Swan II from Springfield, Mass, Minister Keith Mohammed with the Worcester Study Group of Nation of Islam, and Mel King, Founder of the Rainbow Coalition Party, spoke at a forum at the Worcester Public Library. On October 20, at 4 p.m., the radio show Sun of Haiti International at 9l.3 FM played the tape from "Democracy Now" of the reading of the names from the Stolen Lives Project.
* Send in copies of reports of the events, news clippings, photographs, videotapes, leaflets, and more. Don't keep secrets! Send in stories that you hear of people wearing black, or what people did on the 22nd, or creative ways that people displayed the names from the Stolen Lives book. People need to know, as part of making plans for next year.
* We need to find the ways to protest the attacks on people participating in these October 22nd events and to build support for them.
* We need to continue to get the Stolen Lives Project out more broadly throughout society, collect more names and data, and prepare to promote anddistribute the second edition which will be published sometime in the spring.
* The National Coordinating Committee is continuing with its conference calls to sum up the events and make proposals for next year. Summations and proposals from the local areas should be sent in to the National Office. We will continue to post reports of these calls on the Web site, and will mail them out to all areas which are registered with the National Office. Individuals within a geographical region which does not have an October organizing committee should contact the National Office for organizing materials.
October 22
c/o KHL Inc.
(Box 124)
160 First Avenue
New York, New York 10009
212- 477-8062
Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
Akil Al-Jundi (deceased), Community Self Defense, Brooklyn
Iris Baez, Anthony Baez Foundation
Wallace "Gator" Bradley, United in Peace
Angel Cervantes, educator (formerly of Four Winds Student Movement)
Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement
Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party,USA
Andre English, East Coast Student Youth Network coordinator
Jim Lafferty, Executive Director Los Angeles chapter, National Lawyers Guild
Robert Rockwell, National Secretary of Refuse and Resist!
Quetzal, West Coast Student Youth Network coordinator
[posted November 9, 1998]
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