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Progressive Action Roundtable: A forum for progressive groups in the Greater New Haven Area where actions and ideas may be publicized so that others are aware of peace, health, justice, energy, environmental and other issues for the common good.

Archive for category Human Rights

Justice for Jewu! Falsely Charged After Being Almost Killed by the New Haven Police

May 2

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– By Deb Malatesta, ANSWER CT

Jewu Richardson is fighting for his freedom after suffering police brutality and harassment for the last decade. He spent over a year in jail on false charges after being beaten unconscious. He refused to become an informant and drugs were planted on him by the notorious William “Billy” White and his Narcotics Task Force of the New Haven Police Department. A day before Jewu was scheduled to go to trial in 2007, White and members of his task force were indicted and later convicted by the federal government on a number of charges including planting false evidence, falsifying police reports, stealing money and more.

On Jan. 16, 2010, Jewu was pulled over for a “routine” traffic stop—one of many in the NHPD’s schedule of regular harassment. Jewu feared for his life as the officer approached his car with his gun drawn, and fled. When Jewu pulled into a gas station that was visible and well-lit, Jewu raised his hands in submission. The officer then jumped on the hood of his car and shot him in the chest, inches from his heart. Jewu’s two passengers were beaten by the NHPD but not charged with any crime. Jewu was thrown into a cell for four days without medical treatment.

Jewu is scheduled to go to trial in early May on charges of assaulting the officer that shot him, and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The fabricated charges, validated by a false conviction, give the police and “justice” system cover for nearly killing Jewu. The state has destroyed key evidence in the case—Jewu’s car and the alleged assault weapon from which forensic evidence could have been picked up to prove his innocence.

Funds must be raised immediately to pay his legal fees to ensure he gets adequate defense in court.

Organizers are also needed to help coordinate mass street outreach campaigns and rallies that will take place as Jewu goes to trial.

To read Jewu’s full story and learn more about his fight to defend his freedom, go to http://www.justiceforjewu.com.

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Could Occupy New Haven’s Eviction Reinvigorate the Movement?

May 2

Posted by Progressive Action Roundtable in Human Rights | No Comments

– By Melinda Tuhus, Reporter, The Nation

On April 18, three days after celebrating its six-month anniversary, Occupy New Haven was evicted from its encampment on the city’s Green, marking the end of the last Occupy camp in New England. The third time was the charm, so to speak, as two previous attempts by City Hall to dislodge the neighbors it no longer wanted were stymied by last-minute court rulings related to free speech and to who actually had the authority to evict the Occupiers, since the Green is privately owned but managed by the city.

Read the complete article at: The Nation

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Mother’s Day Proclomation

May 2

Posted by Progressive Action Roundtable in Human Rights | No Comments

Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), Boston, September, 1870

Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of fears!

Say firmly:

“We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy, and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, “Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!” Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, And each bearing after her own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

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New Haven residents rally in ‘Justice for Trayvon Martin’ Rally

Apr 2

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Fight Back Against Racism! RALLY was held Tuesday, March 27th, 6 p.m., Elm St and Church St, New Haven

On Feb. 26 in Seminole County, Fla., George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. The 17-year-old Black youth was walking home from the store. Martin was unarmed with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea in his pockets. Zimmerman, captain of the local neighborhood watch, pursued Martin and gunned him down in broad daylight, in front of many witnesses. Zimmerman stated that the unarmed Black teen appeared “suspicious” and “threatening.” Local police did not arrest Zimmerman.

Since the release of the 911 tapes, people across the country have gone into the streets to demand justice for Trayvon Martin and all victims of racist attacks and bigotry. Justice demands that Zimmerman be arrested and charged in the killing of Trayvon Martin and that the Sanford Police Department be investigated.

Another rally and march took place March 31 from Dixwell Avenue down to New Haven City Hall. Hundreds came out and sported signs and hoodies.

For more:

NEW HAVEN — Hundreds of hoodies marched through the city Saturday, a fashion statement that has come to symbolize national outrage over the troubling death of a Florida teen.

Hoodies Up New Haven began at the front steps of the Dixwell Community “Q” House on Dixwell Avenue and continued downtown to the steps of City Hall. There were gray hoodies, green hoodies, striped hoodies, tie-dyed hoodies, brand-new hoodies and a few worn-out hoodies that settled wearily on their owners’ heads.

For more on this story, visit: Trayvon Martin shooting spurs New Haven hoodie march (video)- The New Haven Register – Serving New Haven, Connecticut.

On Saturday afternoon, Yalies and New Haven residents donned hooded sweatshirts and marched from Dixwell Avenue to City Hall to protest the fatal shooting of unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin.

The march, which was organized by the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) and co-sponsored by other activist groups from Yale, New Haven and elsewhere in the state, aimed to raise awareness about racial profiling and the need for unity among local groups taking steps to combat it. Called “Hoodies Up New Haven,” the march and subsequent rally at City Hall commemorated Martin, a 17-year-old high school student who was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26 while walking home from a convenience store wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

For more on this story, visit: Students, community members march for Trayvon Martin | Yale Daily News.

 

 

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Occupy Gets 10 More Days | New Haven Independent

Apr 2

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Occupy New Haven scored another victory Tuesday afternoon in its battle to remain on the Green—a federal judge extended a restraining order preventing the city from removing the protest camp.

Norm Pattis, attorney for Occupy announced that news Tuesday following a telephone conference with city lawyers and federal judge Mark Kravitz.

Kravitz has decided that the city will not be allowed to remove the five-month-old encampment for at least another 10 days.

Meanwhile, a scheduled hearing on the matter will go forward at 1 p.m. Wednesday in federal court on Church Street.

For more on this story, visit: Occupy Gets 10 More Days | New Haven Independent.

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Petition in Support of the Continued New Haven Occupation

Apr 2

Posted by Progressive Action Roundtable in Human Rights | 1 Comment

By Josh in OccupyNewHaven.org

Here is a petition you can sign to show your support for the continuation of Occupy New Haven on the city’s Green. It is a visual testament to the growing class inequality present in our city, nation and world, and it is vital to protect the physical occupation as a form of free expression and free assembly in protest of this inequality. Online at: www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/onhpetition

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OCCUPY: The Larger Picture

Mar 4

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– David Elkin-Ginnetti, member of Occupy New Haven

[Editor’s note: Occupy New Haven has maintained its encampment on the upper Green since October 15, 2011. Visit its website www.occupynewhaven.org]

Tents have been put up on New Haven Green since early on in the Occupy movement in 2011.

Tents have been put up on New Haven Green since early on in the Occupy movement in 2011.

It is vital for Occupy New Haven not to get sidelined by recent talks with New Haven city government. At meetings with Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts and other top Yale and New Haven officials, delegates from Occupy New Haven were repeatedly shown that the city would love to relocate our encampment to a quiet outpost at a less conspicuous location in the city.

We have many things to be grateful for- namely, that the city even invited us to talk with them in the first place. Most other cities have simply evicted their occupations, no questions asked. So this is a good chance for dialogue. But we absolutely cannot give the city the privilege of pushing us around. The purpose of our physical occupation is to liberate public space, reclaiming it for its original function as a center of free speech. In this way the New Haven Green is unique: it’s the center of downtown, a space passed by thousands of people daily, and center for movements throughout history. Through direct action, people in Occupy New Haven are getting the chance for their voices to be heard, often for the first time. This is why our occupation of the Green is so important. The chance for dialogue with the city is great, but let’s make it actual dialogue, instead of an essentially one-sided call to get off the Green.

This movement lives in the abstract. It is represented by a set of vague ideals, like horizontal democracy, transparency, equality, and mutual respect. This vagueness can sometimes be advantageous. Anyone can be part of Occupy if s/he says s/he is. But how do we boil down the abstractions into real life- something more than idealism? The answer is the occupation itself- it grounds the movement. This is why staying on the Green is vital for Occupy New Haven. Let’s not let negotiation take our values away from us. We need to fight for our right to be heard, no matter what. That’s why I occupy.

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Habeas Trial #2 Set for March 19

Mar 4

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– Mary Johnson, People Against Injustice

As most PAR readers know, George Gould and Ron Taylor were released from prison by a Habeas judge after 16 years of incarceration, because the judge realized their arrest and conviction were based on fabricated testimony. Sadly, 15 months later, that decision was reversed by the CT Supreme Court on appeal by CT prosecutors.

The long-delayed, second Habeas trial requested by George and Ron has been rescheduled for March 19, 2012, in the Superior Court at 20 Park Street, Rockville, CT. The courthouse is near Exit 63 off I-84.

People Against Injustice (PAI) encourages everyone who can to attend the first session so the judge will see strong support for George and Ron. Their 16 years in prison, their release in April 2010 only to have their freedom taken away in July, 2011, George’s return to prison and Ron’s death in October, 2011, all cry out for justice. It is obvious that CT prosecutors are determined to keep George in prison and ignore Ron’s case altogether. (See PAR Newsletter, December 2011.)

PAI feels that this vindictive campaign is caused by habitual inability to admit that the police and prosecutors are often wrong. We also feel they want, above all, to avoid the monetary compensation due to both men.

If it’s possible for you, we urge you to join us on March 19. Please call Mary at (203) 387-7858 for further information.

OCCUPY Shoreline CT Feb. 29 Demonstration

Mar 4

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– OccupyShorelineCT.org

We are protesting in order to raise the public’s awareness of the harm done by one of Connecticut’s major corporations, Pfizer Inc., and to draw attention to the way in which Pfizer cooperates with other corporations through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to serve corporate and elite 1% interests while ignoring the health and well-being of people, animals and the earth itself.

As a pharmaceutical company, Pfizer should be using the marvelous power of modern science for the betterment of human and animal health. Instead, Pfizer has tormented animals, overdosed children with dangerous medications, conducted inhumane experiments in this country and abroad, and created massive pollution in Groton and other towns where it has operated.

Pfizer executives deceived the people of New London and Connecticut into granting the company huge tax advantages to locate a facility near Fort Trumbull. As soon as the tax advantages expired, Pfizer closed the doors to this facility and transferred its work force out of state. In their greedy whimsy, Pfizer executives demanded the demolition of an entire neighborhood near Fort Trumbull so that their executives could have lavish accommodations and shopping there. The neighborhood was leveled, but Pfizer simply abandoned New London and its people. Where a neighborhood once lived, an empty field now stands!

Pfizer and ALEC serve their own interests rather than the interests of the people. Through ALEC, Pfizer and other corporations make unfair “model laws” in secret and then force them through state legislatures. These laws are written for the corporations by ALEC for a fee and receive no debate and no inspection by the people or their elected representatives. Laws are meant to be made in public, not by corporations and the pet legislators who work with them in secret through ALEC.

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Reclaiming the Struggle in 2012

Jan 29

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By Joelle Fishman, People’s World

This year’s 38th annual African American History Month Celebration hosted by the People’s World will highlight the theme, “‘We who believe in freedom cannot rest’ – Reclaiming the Struggle in 2012.”  The event will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Peoples Center, 37 Howe St. The program will include awards and recognition to all participants in the high school arts and writing competition. Deadline for entries is Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.

Guest speaker Raglan George, Executive Director of AFSCME District Council 1707 in New York which represents home health care and child care workers, will address the challenges of extreme inequality in our nation, the rising fight back and the 2012 elections.

He will also share recollections of Henry Winston on his 100th birth year. Winston, who grew up in a sharecropping family, organized African American youth in the South in the 1930s and later served for 20 years as national Chair of the Communist Party USA. He was among the national CPUSA leaders jailed for their ideas in the 1950s who were later exonerated. Winston lost his eyesight while in prison, unable to get health care due to racism. He declared, “they have taken my sight, but they can never take my vision.”

Pictures drawn by children on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday celebration at Peabody Museum will also be on exhibit. Donation is $5, with buffet included. For more information call (203) 624-8664.

The People’s World is also sponsoring a coach bus to New York on Sunday, Feb. 19, for a special Henry Winston centennial program including Angela Davis, Jarvis Tyner and more.

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Promoting Enduring Peace on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

Jan 29

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By Augusta Girard, Program Coordinator, Promoting Enduring Peace

PEP spent the day on Monday, January 16 at the Peabody Museum. As a video of Martin Luther King and the causes he fought for played on my laptop I tried to show the children what he did to fight for equality and freedom and how it isn’t much different today. People are still fighting for what they believe in; for things that still need to change. I asked them to make a protest sign as if they were going to march as MLK started over 50 years ago. I asked them what was important to them. The ages ranged from approximately 5 to 11. Overwhelmingly most wanted peace.

The following quotes (word for word) were taken from signs made by a handful of the children:

“Give Peace a Chance” “World Peace is Important” “We should have peace to the environment, the world. And it does not matter about your skin color and don’t let that get in your way” “Your gonna be remembered for the things that you say and do!! I’m different and so you are to. Don’t abuse other people just because they are different”  “NO DISCRIMINATION We are all equal” “Save the Earth”  “Animal Abuse is Wrong” “We want people to be friends” “Stop all Racism in the world.”

In the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr., we should all champion the diversity we find around us, by increasing our knowledge about different groups. “Fear, begot by ignorance, can be overcome, because ignorance can be remedied.”

At the end of his legacy, Dr. King was looking not just at issues of race, but he also became more broadly concerned about social justice. Environmental justice is social justice. Although the Environmental Justice movement was not directly conceived by Dr. King, it embodies his spirit. Promoting Enduring Peace has taken on the task of joining the Peace, Social Justice and Environmental movements.

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”  ? Martin Luther King Jr.

To see the presentation go to http://www.pepeace.org/ (Click on Sliderocket presentation)

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Justice for Jewu!

Jan 29

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By Deb Malatesta, ANSWER, CT

On Jan. 16, 2010, Jewu Richardson fought for his life after being brutally shot just inches from his heart by a New Haven police officer while he was sitting in his car, unarmed with his hands raised in submission.

At the time of the shooting, Jewu was awaiting the start of a highly publicized Federal lawsuit against the City of New Haven after he served time for drugs planted on him by the federally-indicted NHPD Narcotics Task Force under Billy White.

In January 2006, New Haven Police Department Narcotics Task force planted drugs on Jewu and arrested him. For 13 months, Jewu sat in jail.  The day before his jury trial was to begin, Billy White and his thugs were arrested by the FBI on charges of bribery, theft of government funds, criminal conspiracy to name a few.  When Jewu arrived at the courthouse the prosecutor had filed a 30 day continuance. The prosecutor knew he had no case when the officers who accused Jewu were in jail on federal charges of conspiracy. Two days later, the prosecutor, judge and Jewu’s attorney met secretly and nollied the case without consulting him.  After Jewu spent thirteen months in jail, they claimed there is not enough evidence to prosecute. In response, Jewu filed a motion for complete dismissal of all charges. And in 2008, Jewu filed a Federal lawsuit against the City of New Haven, New Haven Police Department, Chief of Police and the officers involved.

In 2009, cops began harassing and intimidating Jewu. On January 16th, 2010, they shot him in the chest through the windshield of his car to silence him for good.
The NHPD is now charging him with 1st degree assault of a police officer, an attempt by the NHPD to justify his near-fatal shooting.  He’s facing 20 years in jail. But as Jewu says, “They tried to kill me and I should be dead, but they messed up.  They messed up big time.”

Jewu is a father, a psychology student, and a community activist. Don’t let him go to jail for a crime that he did not commit.  Justice for Jewu!   For more information contact www.justiceforjewu.com.

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‘Breach of Peace’ march in New Haven goes off without a hitch

Dec 29

Posted by Progressive Action Roundtable in Environment, General, Human Rights | No Comments

– Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor, New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN ? Communities came together Saturday afternoon under the banner of a “Breach of Peace” march against police brutality. Members of Occupy New Haven met with representatives from People Against Police Brutality, Blacks and Latinos United, Unidad Latina en Accion and Frontline Soldiers at Chapel and Day streets and then moved the protest to the detention center on Whalley Avenue. About 50 people participated, according to Jewu Richardson of New Haven, a speaker against brutality.

While the relationship between New Haven police and occupiers on the Green has been positive, Occupy movements across the country have experienced mistreatment from police, “so we’re standing in solidarity with them,” and other local issues, Richardson said.

“We’re standing strong with the     community. We’re standing up for people’s rights,” said Jennifer, a part-time occupier from Hamden.

Read the complete article online at:

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011/12/17/news/new_haven/doc4eed5bd8a7b47596766917.txt

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