more police brutality

International Action Center Report:

1) May 21 - COMMUNITY MEETING on Police Misconduct - Episcopal Quincy Chinese Center
2) May 22 - Boston College Commencement - U.S. Out of Iraq Now!

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1) ** COMMUNITY MEETING on Police Misconduct **
4-6 pm, Sunday, May 21
Episcopal Quincy Chinese Center
531 Hancock Street (near Wollaston T-stop)

On Sunday, April 30, four young Asian Americans were attacked by the Quincy Police. The Chinese Progressive Association and local Asian American organizations are calling a Community Meeting to discuss the incident -- and to share information on experiences of police misconduct. We invite Quincy residents and concerned community members to please join us!

Background:
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In early Sunday morning, April 30, Chinese Progressive Association organizer Karen Chen and three of her friends were brutally assaulted by the Quincy police, while coming home from a Chinese engagement party. All are young Chinese Americans.

While pulled over at a curb next to Super 88, they were approached by a state trooper. As they spoke with the trooper, a Quincy police car pulled up. Without warning, a police officer jumped out and pepper-sprayed all three directly in the eyes at close range. Karen, who is just over five feet tall, was tackled by three male officers, receiving a black eye, swollen face, and bruises. Another friend was knocked unconscious.

Throughout the incident, the police repeatedly yelled at the victims, used profanities, and called them names. Four innocent Asian Americans were taken to the police station in handcuffs and falsely charged with resisting arrest and/or disorderly conduct.

At the first support committee meeting for the victims, the following initial demands were proposed:

1) Drop or dismiss all charges against the Quincy 4!
2) Compensate the victims for lost wages and other damages
3) Suspend the police involved without pay
4) Public apology from the Quincy Police Department
5) Open and public investigations into police misconduct
6) Diversify the police force and implement sensitivity training
7) Public review over the use of force by police

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Chinese Progressive Association
33 Harrison Ave, 3rd fl., Boston, MA 02111
phone: (617)357-4499 fax: (617)357-9611
www.cpaboston.org

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2) In the Spirit of Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X

May 22 - Boston College Commencement (Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will speaking)

U.S. Out of Iraq Now!
Immediate, Complete, Unconditional Withdrawal

Fight Poverty, Racism, Sexism & War

9:00am - Gather at Cleveland Circle (Green Line - "C")
March to Boston College

* Defund the Pentagon - $$$ for Jobs, Housing, AIDS, Healthcare & Education
* End Colonial Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Haiti & Puerto Rico!
* Stop the Threats Against Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria & north Korea!
* Military Recruiters OUT of Our Schools
* Defend Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
* Union Jobs - A Living Wage - the Right to Organize

* Stop the War Against the Black, Latin@, Arab & Muslim Communities
* Justice & Reparations for Hurricane Katrina/Rita Survivors
* Full Legalization for all Immigrants- Stop Deportations
* Stop the Attacks on Undocumented & Immigrant Workers & Students
* No Militarization of the Border
* No Border Fences and Racism
* Stop Racial Profiling & Police Brutality
* Stop the War on Women & Lesbian, Gay, Bi,Trans People
* Equal, Quality Education is a Right

The Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee and the Troops Out Now Coalition encourage all who are opposed to the criminal war and occupation of Iraq and who are united in their opposition to Poverty, Racism, Sexism & War to join with those who will be protesting inside and outside of the Boston College graduation ceremonies on May 22 where the featured speaker will be Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

To date, well over 100,000 Iraqi people and more than 2400 U.S. soldiers have died in a war that was sold to the U.S. public with lies but in reality was all about the imperialist re-conquest of the Middle East by the U.S. in order to control the regions vast oil reserves. The country of Iraq has been plunged into chaos and violence, the direct result of a brutal occupation. It is important to note that it is not enough to target just one individual in this government. The war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the threats against Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and other countries is the direct result of a political and economic system that seeks to dominate and control the world's natural resources. This was clearly laid out in the 1992 document entitled "Defense Planning Guidance" co-authored by former undersecretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz for the Pentagon and updated in 2002. This document declared that the U.S. would now dominate the world and that no power or combination of powers on earth should even attempt to challenge Washington's hegemony in any region.

Most recently, the Bush Administration, both parties in Congress and the corporate media are clamoring for a new war--against the people of Iran. This past March The London Telegraph reported that the Pentagon is placing forces and equipment capable of striking at 20 Iranian targets, most near heavily populated areas. These strikes could kill 10,000 people.

But it's not enough to just focus on the war and occupation of Iraq, we must draw attention to the devastating impact that this war has had on poor and working people, especially people of color, here at home.

This past week Bush went on TV in response to the millions of immigrant workers and their supporters who have been demonstrating in cities across this country. Bush announced plans to militarize the border with Mexico by deploying 6,000 National Guard troops in addition to his plans to increase the number of Border Patrol agents from 9,000 to 12,000. This amounts to a military wall of death along the Mexican border. In other words, let immigrants die, like he left African Americans to drown and die on rooftops in the wake of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Instead of spending $1.9 billion dollars to construct a wall of death, Bush could rebuild state of the art levees that would provide a wall of life. Instead of spending all of this money to erect more walls and build more jails for immigrant workers and their children, he could use that money for housing for the displaced Katrina/Rita survivors being ruthlessly evicted by FEMA.

The $500 billion Pentagon budget, the $200+ billion spent on the war and the tax cuts for the rich is money that has been stolen from our communities. This money is needed for union jobs, housing, youth centers & programs, education, daycare centers, AIDS and health care. This money is needed to rebuild the Gulf Coast and compensate the survivors of Katrina/Rita for the criminal and racist neglect of the government. On May 22 we will address the root causes of violence in our communities and point the finger at the real perpetrators of this violence - state, local and federal government and their policies of racism and lethal hostility towards poor and working people. On May 22 we have the opportunity to show concretely that we are fighting to stop two wars-- the war abroad and the war at home against poverty, racism and sexism.

We will march and demonstrate, knowing that we cannot wait for politicians to stop the war at home & abroad--only the people, united against poverty, racism, sexism and war, mobilizing in the streets, can stop the violence, stop the war at home & abroad and bring the troops home.

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Troops Out Now Coalition

Boston:
617-522-6626
iacboston@iacboston.org
http://www.iacboston.org

National Office:
212-633-6646
http://troopsoutnow.org

http://StopWaronIran.org