People’s Tribunal on Police Murder:
Families Speak Bitterness about Stolen Lives

July 13, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

A coalition of individuals and organizations of family survivors of people killed by law enforcement throughout the U.S. held a family-led tribunal on July 11 in New York City. Families from around the country gave testimony about their loved ones murdered by the police, before a distinguished jury of experts and an audience gathered at The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in Washington Heights, [the site where Malcolm X was assassinated]. The tribunal was sponsored by New York City-based Mothers Cry for Justice, a national networking organization for a growing number of parents and family members seeking justice for their loved ones.

Members of the jury: Ralph Poynter and Lynne Stewart, lynnstewart.org; Pam Africa, disciple of John Africa, Minister of Confrontation, and Chairwoman of International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Ingrid Hill, Vice Chair, People’s Organization for Progress; Carl Dix, Co-founder of October 22 Coaltion to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation, co-founder of Stop Mass Incarceration Network, Revolutionary Communist Party; Efia Nwangaza, Founder and Director of the Malcolm X Center for Self Determination and WMXP 95.5 FM Community Radio in South Carolina; Roger Wareham, December 12th Movement, Human Rights attorney, former political prisoner, one of the attorneys on the Central Park 5 case.

Attorney King Downing was the Head Prosecutor for the Tribunal and members of the jury included: Lynne Stewart & Ralph Poynter, lynnstewart.org; Pam Africa, Disciple of John Africa, Minister of Confrontation, and Chairwoman of International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Ingrid Hill, Vice Chair, People’s Organization for Progress; Carl Dix, Co-founder of October 22 Coaltion to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation, co-founder of Stop Mass Incarceration Network, Revolutionary Communist Party; Efia Nwangaza, Founder and Director of the Malcolm X Center for Self Determination and WMXP 95.5 FM Community Radio in South Carolina; Roger Wareham, December 12th Movement, Human Rights attorney, former political prisoner, one of the attorneys on the Central Park 5 case; Larry Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization for Progress; Charles Pinderhughes, ex-Black Panther and professor at Essex County College, New Jersey.

“Just the tip of the iceberg…. THIS MUST STOP!”

Toward the end of the People’s Tribunal, some members of the jury gave closing comments. Carl Dix said:

We heard a good bit of testimony and if you have an ounce of humanity it must have hurt you to your heart because that’s how it hit me. I hear this a lot, I’ve even heard some of these cases before. But it was renewed outrage. And I’m not in a forgiving mood. There’s a lot of talk about forgiveness. I’m not into reconciling with those who are oppressing people here and around the world until our oppression stops. And we have to work on doing that. We have to recognize that what we heard today was just the tip of the iceberg. There are many, many more cases. And these police murders concentrate an overall genocidal attack on Black people, Latino people, indigenous people in this country. If that was the only thing wrong with this system that would be reason enough to wanna get rid of it through revolution. And it’s far from the only thing wrong. And we in the Revolutionary Communist Party are building a movement for revolution and if you want to see these things stop, get with us on that, check us out, see what we have to say, what we do, and get with us. Whether you’re with that or not, we have to stand up and say these horrors must stop. July 25 [Million People’s March Against Police Brutality, Racial Injustice, and Economic Inequality] is a day to say that and before that July 17 is the anniversary of the murder of Eric Garner, the protest in Staten Island. And all this is part of building up to October 22 through the 24, three powerful days of action under the theme of “Stop Police Terror, Which Side Are You On?” Because there has to be a huge dividing line drawn in society drawn around this question. Are you with the people acting to stop it or is it OK with you that it happens? There is no middle ground, no neutrality. Don’t tell me when police are committing murders like this and the system gives them a pass, don’t tell me you’re neutral. You’re either against this injustice or it’s OK with you. We have to confront society, and in October we’re going to do that. We’re looking to bring thousands and thousands into New York City to say THIS MUST STOP.”

Over five hours of testimony was heard. Some family members traveled to New York to testify; many others Skyped in to enter their stories into the record. Some families in Baltimore had just finished speaking at a Town Hall meeting and called in together.

Testimony included:

Sheila Reid, mother of Jerame Reid, who was killed by police in Bridgeton, New Jersey on December 30, 2014, Bridgeton, New Jersey. Marcus Pettiford, son of Anthony Anderson, killed by Baltimore police on September 21, 2012 [by Skype from Baltimore]. Cynthia Clark, whose brother, a plainclothes police officer, was killed by four Baltimore police officers [by Skype from Baltimore]. Michele Kimal, mother of Abdul Kimal, who was killed by police in Newark, New Jersey on November 11, 2013. Juanita Young, mother of Malcolm Ferguson who was killed by NYPD on March 1, 2000. Tawanda Jones, sister of Tyrone West, killed by Baltimore police, July 18, 2014 [by Skype from Baltimore]. Nicholas Heyward, Sr., father of 13-year-old Nicholas Heyward, Jr. who was killed by NYPD on September 27, 1994, while playing with a toy gun. Ward Churchhill, author and political activist, testified about political repression by the police against members of the American Indian Movement in the 1970s [by Skype from Colorado]. Joshua Lopez, nephew of John Collado, killed by NYPD, September 7, 2011. Carriel Frazier, grandaunt of Jacob “JC” Wright, killed in Green Pond, South Carolina, January 13, 2009. Ramona Africa, testifying as a survivor of the May 13, 1985 bombing of a MOVE house by the Philadelphia police in which 11 were burned to death, including five children. Monique Cullars-Doty, grandaunt of Marcus Golden, killed in St. Paul MN, January 15, 2015. Regina Ashford, mother of 23-year-old Kashad Ashford, killed by police in Rutherford, New Jersey, September 16, 2014. J. Andree Penix Smith, mother of Justin Smith, beaten to death while unarmed and handcuffed by five Tulsa, OK police officers Aug. 14, 1998, also one of the organizers of the People’s Tribunal.

Revolution newspaper/revcom.us will have more coverage of this tribunal, including excerpts from of some of the testimony.

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People’s Tribunal on Police Murder: Families Speak Bitterness about Stolen Lives

“Just the tip of the iceberg…. THIS MUST STOP!”

People’s Tribunal on Police Murder:
Families Speak Bitterness about Stolen Lives