Activist On $1 Million Bail For Defending Herself Against Fascist Mob
Stop the Totally Unjust Imprisonment and Frame-up of Tatiana “Tia” Turner
| revcom.us
On Saturday, September 26, 2020 Tatiana (“Tia”) Turner helped organize a protest to stand up to the bigotry, hate and racism in America and to the fascist movement in the U.S. This “March 4 Equality” protest was in suburban Yorba Linda, Orange County, CA and included people from a range of organizations opposed to white supremacy and fascism. The March 4 Equality protest was met by a fascist mob and was outnumbered three to one. About 70 people made the trek to Yorba Linda while the fascist forces, filled with vengeance, had over 200.
Leading up to the protest, Tia received online threats to her life from the Trump supporters, many referencing a march one month prior. Tia’s coalition had organized their first march in Seal Beach, also in Orange County, in August 2020. That protest, which galvanized several hundred people from throughout Orange and LA counties, was also attacked by a mob of Trump MAGA fascists, but at this protest the BLM protesters outnumbered the fascists. The Seal Beach police stood by when MAGA thugs attacked this BLM protest, and then tried to intimidate the anti-racist protesters until the march dispersed.
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At the September 26 action in Yorba Linda, as soon as the event started, trucks with white supremacist Trump supporters circled the nonviolent protest. Then, when the short march started, at least 200 racist Trump supporters, incensed, belligerent, many of them drunk, descended violently on the protest against racism. The Yorba Linda police that had been there in the street evaporated, disappearing from the scene. The nonviolent March 4 Equality protesters held their place in the face of this violent mob. Women were surrounded by this mob of Trump supporters, as were men, and were called every slur in the book. The protesters were bear maced by the fascists. On the spot, the March 4 Equality action made clear they were not there for violence, but that they would protect people and defend themselves. Tia herself came directly under attack by the mob. Tia had actually called 911 because of this emergency, but to no avail. Yet there were police on top of the Yorba Linda Library looking down on this situation, watching this violent white supremacist attack go down.
After being surrounded, threatened and followed by Trump-supporting fascists (so called “counter-protesters”) Tia, who is Black, got in her car and attempted to call police. Tia was again surrounded by fascists, some armed with lethal weapons, who prevented her from leaving. Tia’s car had its rear windshield shattered as she made an effort to escape this white supremacist lynch mob. In the process of escaping for her life, her car allegedly hit two people. Tia was arrested at the scene by Orange County Sheriffs. She was then charged by the Orange County DA with 10 felony counts, including attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon. Tia was arrested and has been charged—and faces life in prison—for escaping a white supremacist fascist mob that encircled her, smashed her car, and threatened her life!
Tia Turner is still in jail with a $1,000,000 bail and the DA has now piled on more charges stemming from the August 2020 march in Seal Beach. The additional charges will be filed at Tia’s next court date on February 18, 2021. The Orange County DA press release says “Protest organizer facing attempted murder charge for running over counter protester with her car during Yorba Linda protest… Turner will be charged with 13 felonies, including attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation… Turner faces a maximum sentence of seven years to life plus 26 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.” On the same day that Orange County DA Todd Spitzer announced the added charges to Tia, he also announced charges on five additional people, one a fascist who was wielding a baton and threatened Tia’s life (who was injured by Tia’s car during her attempt to escape), and another racist who indiscriminately used bear spray on the protest. The other three protesters newly charged are progressive activists in the greater LA area.
The intensifying attack by the authorities, including ramped up charges on Tia, are part of a concerted effort by the Orange County District Attorney to chill protest against murder by police of people of color. These protests in Orange County were part of “the beautiful rising” of nationwide, sustained actions of millions of people in the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. They are meant to intimidate those who have been in the streets protesting racism and fascism.
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer is reaching out to “the public” for information on people who have righteously been in the streets trying to stop murder by police and the fascist, white supremacist juggernaut in the U.S. The Orange County District Attorney has even invoked the violent, fascist coup attempt in Washington, D.C. to go after righteous protesters, in the name of “prosecuting anyone using force or unlawful intimidation tactics,” even—as is the case with Tia Turner and others at these protests—they were defending themselves against violent, fascist mobs threatening to murder her.
In the context of violent racist mob attacks on actual free speech and First Amendment activity protesting white supremacy and fascism, and in the context of the arrests and extraordinarily serious felony charges against people who come under attack by mobs of fascists, especially Tia Turner, the terms DA Spitzer is trying to set are these: if you protest murder by police of Black people and other people of color, or anyone else murdered by police, and if you protest the hate and bigotry associated with “Trumpism”—and while doing that are violently attacked by these white supremacists and fascists—you will be held accountable as violent yourselves, arrested, charged and threatened with jail or prison.
This cannot stand. Self-defense is not a crime.
For more info and to see ways to spread #FreeTia and to demand the charges be dropped visit #FreeTia.
Demand District Attorney Todd Spitzer #FreeTia
Call the DA's Office to voice your outrage and demand Tia be released immediately and the charges be dropped at (714) 834-3600
Call local Congressman Gil Cisneros as well at (714) 459-4575
Instagram: Free Tia Now
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