OCT. 22nd Oscar Grant Rally

Several organizations rallied on October 22nd at the Fruitvale BART station where Oscar Grant was murdered on New Year's Day 2009. Richard Brown of the San Francisco 8, against whom the charges have all been dismissed, talked about the start of the Black Panthers - a response to the outrageous Oakland police involved shootings of African-American men in the 70s. Rashidah Grinage spoke for PUEBLO, and representatives of other local groups talked about the ongoing violence perpetrated against people of color by the Oakland Police Department, as well as police departments all over the country.
This rally was organized primarily by the October 22nd Coalition Against Police Brutality and the Criminalization of a Generation and sponsor of the Stolen Lives project, which formed the backdrop for the speakers.
The following day, a larger event was planned for City Hall, sponsored by the ILWU who organized a work stoppage, as well, in several west coast ports. Jack Heyman, the ILWU representative spoke at both events about the need to send a message that continued police brutality will not be tolerated.
PUEBLO is also a co-sponsor of a tribunal scheduled for October 30th at Humanist Hall, where testimony will be taken from the victims of police violence and the event will be documented and turned over to the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations in November.

Created: 10-24-2010