No Justice from the Department of Justice
July 11, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Yes there's a conspiracy, to get the cops off
Learn more about Bob Avakian here.
Time and again when there is a particularly outrageous murder of Black people, or some other racist injustice, when the ugly white supremacy that is a pillar of this whole system stands exposed to the world, and when people’s anger is boiling over, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announces that it is stepping in. They promise an “impartial investigation” and “justice.” But there is no justice from the Department of Justice. Let’s look at the actual record of the DOJ’s investigations of major incidents in which Black people were killed in just the last few years:
- Ramarley Graham: On February 2, 2012, New York cops followed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham as he walked calmly to his home in the Bronx. Cops kicked in his door and chased him into the bathroom where they shot him dead, while his grandmother and six-year-old brother were in the next room. On March 8, 2016—four years later—the DOJ closed its investigation with no charges, deciding that the cop who killed Ramarley had no ill intent...
- Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman, a mad-dog racist and wannabe cop, racially profiled, stalked, attacked and shot to death unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. As anger and protests spread across the country at the refusal of state authorities to charge Zimmerman, the DOJ announced that it would “conduct a thorough and independent review and ... take appropriate action.” Almost three years after Trayvon’s death, the DOJ found no violation of Trayvon’s civil rights and closed its investigation without filing charges.
- Melissa Williams and Timothy Russell: On November 29, 2012, a small army of Cleveland cops, startled by a car backfiring, chased unarmed Melissa Williams and Timothy Russell for 22 minutes, and when they caught up to them fired 137 shots into their car at close range, killing both of them. On May 24, 2015, the DOJ announced an “investigation” into this slaughter. As of this date it has brought no charges.
- Eric Garner: On July 17, 2014, a gang of New York cops choked unarmed, 43-year-old Eric Garner to death on Staten Island for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes. Video of the murder went viral; thousands took to the streets. On December 3, it was announced that there would be no state indictments, setting off fierce protests across the country, with thousands blocking highways and hundreds arrested. That same day the DOJ announced that they would “investigate”—18 months later, in spite of what the whole world saw on video, the DOJ has yet to bring charges.
- Michael Brown: 18-year-old unarmed Michael Brown was gunned down by cop Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. As the city erupted in angry protest, the DOJ initiated a “civil rights” investigation on August 11. Their report on March 4, 2015 not only cleared Wilson of any blame, but cast Mike Brown as the aggressor and went out of its way to discredit the testimony of a wide range of credible eyewitnesses that Brown had his hands up and was shot down in cold blood, because that testimony conflicted with that of the cop and other “witnesses,” including one who almost certainly wasn’t even on the scene.
- Tamir Rice: On November 22, 2014, Tamir Rice, 12 years old and unarmed, was murdered by Cleveland cops while playing in a park. They shot him down within seconds of driving up on him. Yet almost two years later, the DOJ has been unable to identify any civil rights violation in Tamir Rice’s murder.
- Jamar Clark: On November 15, 2015, 24-year-old Jamar Clark, unarmed, was handcuffed and shot by Minneapolis cops, leading to intense protests, including an 18-day occupation outside the police precinct, which was itself attacked by gunfire from white supremacists right under the noses of the police. Again the DOJ stepped in. But by June 1, 2016, the DOJ announced there would be no charges against Jamar’s murderers.
- Freddie Gray: On April 12, 2015, Freddie Gray, 25 years old and unarmed, was chased down, brutalized, and taken on a “rough ride” by Baltimore cops, resulting in a fatal spine injury. Protest and rebellion erupted in Baltimore and quickly spread around the country. The DOJ promised to investigate. Over a year later... still no charges.
If the job of the DOJ is to ensure justice, then why is it that over and over again they are unable to find a basis to even charge killer cops and other racists, even when it is blatantly obvious that people have been murdered for the “crime” of being Black?
The cold truth is that these investigations have NOTHING to do with “justice” and EVERYTHING to do with protecting the image and legitimacy of the system, and with pacifying the righteous anger of the people and funneling people back into the deadly trap of working through and relying on the very system that is unleashing these horrors against them.
Volunteers Needed... for revcom.us and Revolution
If you like this article, subscribe, donate to and sustain Revolution newspaper.
