Hip Hop Congress

Public Tribunal for Oscar Grant this Wednesday

BAMN E-MAIL – 3/1/2009

The march for justice on Oscar Grant’s birthday Friday, February 27 was a big success! Beginning with our determined march through downtown Hayward and ending with passionate speeches by activists and Oscar Grant’s family in front of Hayward City Hall, we paid honor to Oscar and declared our resolve to fight for justice.

See the news coverage:
KTVU news story: http://www.bamn.com/video/16.asp
InsideBayArea.com article: http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_11804979

THE NEXT STEP is this Wednesday’s INDEPENDENT PUBLIC TRIBUNAL to launch the community investigation into the killing of Oscar Grant. District Attorney Tom Orloff plans to hide the truth in the courtroom and let Johannes Mehserle go free. This is OUR chance to establish the truth.

AMONG THE WITNESSES will be Oscar Grant’s friends and family, people who were at the BART platform on New Year’s night, and Ken Carrethers, a black man who was severely beaten by Johannes Mehserle.

BAMN’S NEXT MEETING is this Monday, March 2, 7:00PM at UC-Berkeley’s Wheeler Hall Room 200 (near Bancroft + Telegraph in Berkeley).

INDEPENDENT PUBLIC TRIBUNAL
to investigate the killing of Oscar Grant

GIVE AND HEAR TESTIMONY
Among the witnesses will be Oscar Grant’s friends and family, people who were at the BART platform on New Year’s night, and Ken Carrethers, a black man who was severely beaten by Johannes Mehserle.

THIS WEDNESDAY, March 4th, 7:00PM
Allen Temple Baptist Church
Pastor J. Alfred Smith, Jr.
8501 International Blvd. (+ 85th Ave.), Oakland
(From Berkeley, take the 1 or 1R AC Transit bus)

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER: http://www.bamn.com/doc/2009/090228-half-sheet-tribunal.pdf

Mass organizing of the communities of Oakland and other cities throughout California will be critical to win justice for Oscar Grant, the young man who was shot and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle on New Year’s Day.

WHAT IS AT STAKE

We must do everything we can to win justice in this case. This fight can have two possible outcomes. First: we can make an example of the police who killed Oscar Grant and reduce the chances of this happening again. This is a precious opportunity to draw a line in the sand and show the police that if they kill, they will be jailed. The other possibility is that the police demonstrate they can get away with murder even when the evidence is strong against them. A statewide police officers’ fund is financing Mehserle’s high-priced attorney, and District Attorney Orloff is trying to let Mehserle walk free because they want to maintain the police’s prerogative to harass, brutalize, and kill black and Latina/o youth with impunity.

END THE COVER-UP

Both the District Attorney–who normally works on behalf of the police–and BART are engaging in a coordinated cover-up. It is now clear that it is the aim of District Attorney Tom Orloff’s office to let Johannes Mehserle, who shot Oscar Grant, and Tony Pirone, Mehserle’s accomplice who held down Oscar Grant and coordinated the cover-up, get away with murder. Orloff charged Mehserle with murder two weeks after he shot Grant, only after massive community protest. He did not seriously oppose granting Mehserle bail. He still has not charged Tony Pirone and the other BART police who were accomplices to Oscar Grant’s murder and cover up, yet he is prosecuting protesters who have stood up against this injustice.

Mayor Ron Dellums has not spoken out against the handling of the investigation and the prosecution of this case. He must end his silence and condemn the cover-up. Mayor Dellums should make clear he seeks justice for Oscar Grant and is prepared to defend black and Latina/o youth of Oakland against police terror, brutality, and murder.

It is clear that Oscar Grant is not going to get justice through the police, the Alameda prosecutor’s office, or any of the official bodies. What is needed now is an independent investigation and an independent public tribunal of and for the people of Oakland and the Bay Area to gather as much information as possible so that the truth of Oscar Grant’s killing is not buried. BAMN calls on unions, churches, and community organizations to join us in pulling together this independent investigation and series of public hearings. Any witnesses who saw the killing or who has evidence should get that evidence to BAMN, either directly or anonymously. If we can document the truth of what happened on New Year’s night and share it with the public, we can make sure that District Attorney Orloff conducts a serious prosecution of Mehserle and all the BART police who assisted in Grant’s killing.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Join and help the campaign to win justice for Oscar Grant. Come to the March 4th tribunal and join the public independent investigation into Grant’s killing. We can establish the truth of what happened New Year’s night and ensure that justice is done.

Also, join the mass petition campaign demanding: (1) jail all the killer cops, (2) disarm the BART police and keep BART police out of Oakland, (3) open an independent public investigation, and (4) drop all the charges against protesters. Download the petition at http://www.BAMN.com/oscargrantpetition.asp This is a way to organize our community, express our power, and compel officials to respond to our demands. Join the “Justice for Oscar Grant Action Page” on Facebook (type these words into Google) for news and action alerts.

JUSTICE FOR OSCAR GRANT ACTION PAGE:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/188135

PETITION:

http://www.bamn.com/oscargrantpetition.asp