Jena protests draw thousands from around nation; see photo galleries and check back for updates. UL students take bus to join movement
JENA — Thousands have converged on this small central Louisiana town to protest in support of the Jena Six.
"This is a day I will tell my grandchildren about," Paillet said. "I remember the stories that my grandparents told me and they thought that I'd never have to go through that."
Paillet is one of countless people here in Jena today rallying against of the arrest and charges brought against six Jena High School students.
"It's heartbreaking," said Northside High School junior, Chantelle Cormier.
A steady stream of traffic engulfed the town. The buses continued to come through the morning, well after the Rev. Al Sharpton took the stage in front of the LaSalle Parish Courthouse to rally the crowd. Some in the crowd said buses lined La. 8, which leads into the town.
Sharpton took the courthouse stage and rallied the crowd: "No justice."
"No peace," the mass of people who had come to rally in Jena from as near as Alexandria and Lafayette and as far as Chicago, Detroit, and Alaska.
Sharpton then started, "Free the Jena Six" then began chanting "Who" The crowd, fists in air, shouted back, "the Jena Six."
Thursday's rally marked the modern civil rights movement, Sharpton told the crowd.
Following the rally at the courthouse, the sea of protesters marched about a mile to Jena High School.
The walkers moved to the refrains of "No justice! No peace!"The protesters are gathering in front of the LaSalle Parish courthouse, listening to speakers and chanting, "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!"
The case of six black high school students arrested and charged after a fight left a white student hospitalized has sparked a nationwide movement.
One of the Jena Six, Bryant Purvis, was introduced to the crowd at the courthouse.
3 comments:
Do most people know that these six boys kicked and stomped an unconscious boy who was knocked out with the first punch. Then they jumped on him like a pack of animals. Where is the call for justice for the victim????
Al Sharpton and Jessse Jackson are just here for the publicity. What is their appearence fee??
No justice for a white man in the court of public opinion. Six on one is a disgrace. They get what they deserve.
An excerpt from "Journey to Jena, justice is long, misleading
Jason Whitlock"
Much of the mainstream reporting on this story has been misleading, irresponsible and inflammatory.
No one mentions that Mychal Bell's clueless public defender was black. No one mentions that there were no black jurors because of the 50 people who responded to the more than 100 summons, none were black. No one mentions that Bell was already on probation for battery relating to a Christmas day incident in 2005. No one mentions that Bell was adjudicated (convicted) of two other violent crimes in 2006 and one charge of criminal damage to property. No one mentions that Bell's father acknowledged he moved back to Louisiana in February (after seven years in Dallas) to supervise his son because of the "Jena Six" mess. No one mentions that Bell starred on the Jena High football team while constantly jeopardizing/violating his seemingly flimsy probation.
This was all talked about in open court during a bond hearing for Bell, and a newspaper in Alexandria, La., wrote about it. Just about everybody else has pretty much ignored the "other side" of the story. Including the fact that not one witness — black or white, and there were 40 statements taken — connected the jumping/beatdown of the white student (Dec. 4) to the noose incident (Sept. 1).
No one mentions that a black U.S. Attorney, Donald Washington, investigated the "Jena Six" case and held a town-hall meeting explaining that there was no evidence connecting the jumping/beatdown to the noose incident.
Only after the prosecutor overreacted (or tired of letting Bell and others skate once the successful football season was over; Bell wasn't the only football star charged) did the "Jena Six" blame the attack on the nooses and the white shade tree.
advertisement
STORY TOOLS:
print
send
blog
RSS LIKE THIS STORY?
Rather than report the truth, flames have been fanned by lazy or cowardly or agenda-driven members of the media. Because the white kid regained consciousness and survived the attack with only a swollen eye, defenders of the "Jena Six" have called it a typical "schoolyard fight." Would anyone call it that if six white football and basketball players jumped one black kid?
I've mulled this topic for months, and I keep coming back to one question: Where in the hell were the parents — all of the parents, white and black?
Shame on the parents of the kids who hung the nooses for hiding behind a seemingly racist and insensitive school board when their kids were inexcusably wrong. Shame on the parents of the "Jena Six" for blaming white racism for the cowardice of a six-on-one attack.
And shame on the prosecutor, the media and Al Sharpton for not rising above the ignorance and distortions, and seeking a truth that will set everyone in Jena free, including the "Jena Six."
Post a Comment