Now…more than ever…all the brothers and sisters must come together…all the brothers and sisters everywhere, must feel that the time is in the air… - Bro. Gil Scott Heron

As you may know, many of the students known as the “Bushwick 32″ recently sued New York City and won a settlement of nearly $260,000. That was a victory we all shared and rejoiced over.

BUT THE STRUGGLE IS NOT OVER. Recall that while in court supporting the Bushwick 32, several community members, youths and students were racially profiled and wrongfully arrested IN THE COURT HOUSE. These victims, known as the BROOKLYN 4, are slated to go to trial on June 16th, 2009. Once again, we will need to call on YOU – THE COMMUNITY – to show that we WILL NOT STAND BY while injustice is done to those who work on behalf of our people.

What: PACK THE COURT HOUSE FOR TRIAL
When: TUESDAY JUNE 16, 2009 @ 9:30 AM
Where: 120 SCHEMERHORN ST., BROOKLYN, NY

Please take some time to review the articles below which describe the BUSHWICK 32 ordeal and information giving you the latest status of the BROOKLYN 4.GOING TO TRIAL:Black and Latino Teachers & Activists Racially Profiled & Prosecuted For Attending Their Student’s Court Proceedings.

What: PACK THE COURT HOUSE TO START TRIAL
When: TUESDAYJUNE 16, 2009 @ 9:30 AM
Where: 120 SCHEMERHORN ST., BROOKLYN, NY

On November 30, Brian Favors, teacher and director of Sankofa Community Empowerment and member of MXGM, Jesus Gonzales, community organizer with Make the Road, NY, Nkululeko Sechaba, President of the Queens chapter of InPDUM, and Mario Cox, an honor roll student at Bushwick Community High School, were all attending court proceedings in support of the students known as the “Bushwick 32,” when they themselves were racially profiled in open court, assaulted and placed under arrest.Community supporters had gathered in court once again to support the Bushwick 32 on November 30, 2007. Supporters were shocked at the terrible representation the students received from their appointed attorneys.

During recess, their teacher and long-time supporter, Brian Favors, discretely urged several defense attorneys to competently represent the students. One defense attorney became irate at Mr. Favors. She went back into the court room to convey her anger to a Court Security Officer (“CSO”) with whom she has a personal relationship and parents a child. She told the CSO that she did not like the way Mr. Favors questioned her and that she wanted the “Black man with dread locks” ejected out of the court room.After court resumed session, the CSO, angered by his wife’s story, racially profiled Mr. Sechaba and mistakenly identified him as the “Black man with dread locks” in question and shouted for him to leave the court room b/c he had threatened the attorney. Mr. Favors then informed the CSO that he had identified the wrong “Black man with dreadlocks” and that no one had been threatened. Mr. Sechaba requested the CSO’s badge number so he could report the racial profiling incident. The CSO, angry and embarrassed, refused to provide his badge number, shoved both men into the hallway and yelled for fellow officers to “cuff” them. Mr. Favors and Mr. Sechaba were then surrounded and violently assaulted as other CSO’s rushed to place them under arrest.

Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Cox asked why the supporters were being treated this way when they had done nothing wrong. They were also surrounded and pummeled by the CSOs and they too were arrested. At their arraignment, the community packed the court house so full that they had to shut down the building and stopped admitting people into the court building. The Brooklyn 4 were released on their own recognizance. They originally faced charges of assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration.

However, due to the AMAZING community support in the court room and the overwhelming weakness in the district attorney’s case, most of the charges have been reduced and/or dropped. The Brooklyn 4 NOW FACE A SINGLE CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED ASSAULT. This is both a GOOD thing and a BAD thing.At the LAST court date, the Brooklyn 4 thought they were headed to the Bronx for a JURY trial. HOWEVER, when the district attorney decided to reduce the charges to one charge, they also ELIMINATED THE BROOKLYN 4′S RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.

The Brooklyn DA’s office is now planning to bring in a NEW judge from another borough and force the Brooklyn 4 to have a bench trial in Brooklyn.

What: PACK THE COURT FOR TRIAL
When: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2008 AT 9:30 AM
Where: BROOKLYN CRIMINAL COURT, 120 SCHEMERHORN ST.

In response to this incident, City Councilman Charles Barron stated “First the police terrorize us and arrest our youth in the street. Then the court officers terrorize us again and deny our constitutional right to enter a court room and support our youth at their trial. If this is not fascism I don’t know what is. I support these brothers 100% and they should be set free.” Community members insist that this is only the latest example of the targeting of people of color by the NYPD and the criminal justice system. In 2006, 90% of stop and frisks citywide resulted in no summons issuance or arrest.

YOUR VOICE MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE BUSHWICK 32.

WE NEED YOUR VOICE TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE BROOKLYN 4.What: PACK THE COURT FOR TRIAL.

When: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2008 AT 9:30 AM
Where: BROOKLYN CRIMINAL COURT, 120 SCHEMERHORN ST.

After months of mobilizing the community around the abuse and mistreatment surrounding 32 youth who were wrongfully profiled and arrested in May, 2007 (see articles here on Bushwick 32) the students turned the negative situation into a positive by forming the Student Coalition Against Racial Profiling (SCARP). This powerful group of youth were successful in bringing various organizations together throughout the city such as Malcolm X Grassroots, Operation Power, Make The Road New York, Sankofa Community Empowerment, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, and INPDUM.

Through weekly meetings, press conferences, town hall meetings, fundraisers and community protests the coalition reached out to other victims of racial profiling and brutality in an effort to address this urgent issue that plagues Black and Brown communities throughout the country. In addition, the alliance began addressing horizontal violence through bi weekly intergenerational workshops that addressed gangs, self hate and overall community division.

Summary

• Three Generations of Mistreatment!
• They Attacked the Bushwick 32
• Then They attacked our Elders
• Then They attacked the Activists
• Just last year they attacked 350,000………

The coalition recognizes that these human rights violations that happen everyday and will continue until we put an end to it!

How Can You Help?

We are trying to build a legal defense fund to support the young members of the alliance that have been wrongly arrested and charged with non-existent crimes.

Please send all donations via check or money order to:
Sankofa Community Empowerment, Inc.
P.O.Box 160616
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Also, to stay abreast of court dates to support, events, rallies, and news updates, sign up to our list on the right hand side of the screen.

For Immediate Release

The Student Coalition Against Racial Profiling (S.C.A.R.P) Demand Charges of Bushwick Youth be Dropped and Call for End to Profiling by the NYPD of Latino and African American youth

Community outraged over continuing misconduct by the NYPD and the ongoing delay of trial dates that are impacting the students’ educational life.

WHO: A coalition of youth and community organizations in the Bushwick area

WHAT: Over 20 students will be in court facing charges related to their widely-reported arrest on their way to the wake of a friend last May. There will be a press conference held at the criminal court in downtown Brooklyn calling on the DA to drop the charges.
Scheduled speakers at the press conference include:

• City Councilmember Charles Barron
• Members from the legal team representing the students
• Arrestees from the May 21 incident
• Local community and family members

WHEN: 12:30 pm, Friday, November 30, 2007

WHERE: Criminal Court – 120 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn NY

WHY:

“In May we were arrested while doing nothing wrong- just trying to get to our friend’s wake. Now we are continuing to be disrespected as this case drags on and we keep get pulled out school,”

said Asher Callender, a 19-year old student and one of the arrestees in the May 21 incident.

Over 20 youth have had to make a series of court appearance surrounding charges related to the May 21 incident. SCARP is demanding that these charges be dropped at the November 30 court appearance. Additionally, the community wants to raise awareness about this incident and to hold city leaders accountable for the on-going racial profiling demonstrated by the police.

TIME: MONDAY JULY 9th – 4PM to 6PM
LOCATION: 480 Knickerbocker Ave (@ Bleeker Street).
NEAR BY TRAIN: M-train to Knickerbocker Ave / L-train to Myrtle/Wycoff

The district Attorney has refused to drop the ridiculous charges placed on us while we were arrested traveling as a group to our friend’s wake. The first of our court dates is on Tuesday July 10th. We are rallying for community support and to show the NYPD and the District Attorney that are not just going to give up without a fight!

Stand with us in solidarity for a LEGAL rally in front of the 83rd Precinct.

July 9th Rally Flyer (English) | July 9th Rally Flyer (Spanish – PDF)

YOUR SUPPORT = OUR POWER

Additionally, please come out to support us in court with your presence and spirit during our court appearances: JULY 10th, JULY 11th, and JULY 12th.
The court house is located at 120 Schermerhorn Street (@ Adams St), Brooklyn, NY.