10th Anniversary of Amadou Diallo Murder

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the police murder of Amadou Diallo. The story is well known: Diallo, innocent of any crime, was simply standing in the doorway to his apartment building, holding a bag of fast food in one hand, keys in the other. Officers saw Diallo and "mistook" him for a rape suspect, and before Amadou had any time to react, he was killed in hail of 41 gunshots. The then mayor Rudolph Giuliani launched a shockingly racist campaign to smear Diallo's memory as part of a campaign to defend the murderous officers, who got off scott free.

While the officers got off, thousands of people--white, Black, Latino, Asian; young and old; male and female--poured into the streets in protest, including Rep. Charles Rangel, former mayor David Dinkins, Rev. Al Sharpton, NY Daily News columnist Errol Louis and his father, a retired NYPD detective. Many of them, including these leaders, were arrested for peaceful civil disobedience.

Aside from destroying an innocent life, the police murder has become a symbol of the racism that permeates our society.

Much has changed since 1999. We've elected our first ever African American president, and significant strides against racist ideology have been made. Nonetheless, systemic racism is still an ugly part of our society. Police brutality is but one aspect of it. We should take this anniversary as a time to reflect on the progress that has been made, and also to rededicate ourselves to continuing the struggle against racism, which harms all working people.

Below for an article from the People's Weekly World newspaper exposing some of the crimes by police against African Americans in this city alone.

Killed by the NYPD: The system, its problems and the fightback

Protesters demand justice for Sean Bell, Dec. 6, in New York City. PWW photo by Ken BeSaw.

NEW YORK — “No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!” protesters chanted Dec. 6 as they rallied in Manhattan’s Foley Square. The event was planned months in advance to bring attention to the issue of police brutality in New York City. But following the shooting death of groom-to-be 23-year-old Sean Bell, the event took on new meaning and urgency, marking the beginning of a series of actions that will take place across the city in the coming weeks.

Undercover police fired 50 shots outside the Kalua Cabaret in Queens on Nov. 25, killing Bell and wounding Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. This was not the first time NYPD officers have been “excessive” in the use of their weapons and deadly force. The similarities in police conduct and the department’s response to other cases of police shooting of unarmed individuals are striking. Below are some of these similarities.

For the rest of the article, click here.