A-Infos (en) Update: Police Murders in Chattanooga

[Tom Burghardt <tburghardt@igc.apc.org>]

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                   * BLACK AUTONOMY/COPWATCH *
                      Chattanoga, Tennessee
                  E-mail: lervin@mindspring.com 
                    - Saturday, 23 May 1998 -
 
                              -----
_________________________________________________________________
 
               UPDATE: POLICE MURDERS IN CHATTANOOGA
_________________________________________________________________
 
                     By Lorenzo Komboa Ervin
 
                                *
 
Brothers and Sisters:
 
     Myself and two other members of Black Autonomy-COPWATCH
program were arrested in Chattanooga City Hall on Tuesday nite
when we took over the meeting as a protest of their disrespect of
the desire of the Black community to have this matter of police
brutality discussed. The Coalition Against Police Brutality,
which includes the NAACP, Operation PUSH, Nation of Islam, and
Black Preachers, along with radical forces like Black Autonomy,
Concerned Citizens for Justice, Operation Brighter Tomorrow,
etc., came to City Hall with a 15-page written proposal for
establishment of a Police Control Council for community control
of the police. This proposal was based on the old BPP proposal
from 1969, rather than seeking a toothless, politically-
controlled "review board".
 
     A member of the CAPB had called a week in advance to have us
placed on the agenda so that we could give a special
presentation. And until the last minute we were assured that this
was the case. However, the day of the event when we arrived with
a large number of Black community folx, we were curtly told that
our request had been denied with no further explanation. Although
the NOI had stated in an CAPB organizers meeting that they would
take over the meeting, when the time actually came, they got cold
feet and said we should "just wait". They punked out completely.
 
     Refusing to accept this insult to the Black community by
these corrupt politicians, myself and the BA activists in
attendance, then made our move. I went to the speaker's podium,
and slammed my fist down, scaring everyone into silence. I
demanded that we be heard then, instead of wading through two
hours of zoning reports, real estate and business reports,
bureaucratic reports and other garbage, while they ignored a room
full of Black people. The politicians tried to shout and gavel me
down, but then gave up and ran out of the room, when the people
rose up and demanded that I be given the right to speak. 
 
     To keep the pigs off me while I delivered my speech, I had
Damon McGee, Mikail Musa Muhammad, and others stand and become a
wall that the cops would have to wade through in order to get me.
This worked to perfection, it actually took them twenty minutes
before they could even touch me. Finally three of us were
arrested, and all during this time, the so-called leadership of
the CAPB (including Min. Kevin Muhammad of the NOI) never rose
one time to protest our arrest or showed solidarity. These weak,
backstabbing punks actually waited until we had been arrested and
gave a presentation "disapproving" of our action, and calling for
a "private deal" to be negotiated out of the earshot of the
people. They then held a private meeting to try to expel us from
the group, but realized that the masses overwhelmingly loved what
we did, even if the conservative "leadership" didn't, so they
backed off. We suspect that they created the "Coalition" as a way
of restoring their credibility, and to handcuff radical elements
around their middle class program. But we don't need this weak
coalition with petty bourgeois elements, we must unite with the
people. 
 
     We were thrown into jail under atrocious conditions: 31 men
in one cell, with no ventilation, one toilet, no food for hours,
pushed around by jailers, no medical attention, and no legal
rights to an attorney. In fact, Brother Mikail was told that he
could not even have a bail bond and would have to stay in jail
indefinitely, so yesterday we had a demonstration in front of the
jail and the Sheriffs' office, and he was suddenly let go. One
thing stuck out in my mind: although the FOI never stood up and
defended myself from the cops, or protected our Black sisters,
they surrounded me and tried to "chastise" me when I was released
from jail. Something is very wrong with this.
 
     We are all charged with "Disrupting a meeting" (6 mos. jail
time and $1500 fine), but Bro. Mikail is also chaged with
"resisting arrest", although he did no more than the rest of us
in standing in the way of the cops. We go to court on next
Tuesday, May 26th. We will not compromise with these charges, and
will build a political defense to expose police brutality and
racism in this town and unite our oppressed people. We are
calling ourselves "THE CHATTANOOGA THREE", and will mount an
international campaign soon. I will post more later.
 
                              * * *
 
     +:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+
     +:        A N T I F A   I N F O - B U L L E T I N        :+
     +:          NEWS * ANALYSIS * RESEARCH * ACTION          :+
     +:     RESISTING FASCISM    *  BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY!   :+
     +:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+
 
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