[Antiracism] TAKE ACTION AGAINST RACIAL PROFILING & POLICE BRUTALITY

[Nick Camerota]

****PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY****
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TAKE ACTION AGAINST RACIAL PROFILING & POLICE BRUTALITY
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UPDATE ON THE SOMMERVILLE 5 [If necessary, see "Background information on 
the Sommerville 5" below the starred (******) section of this update.]

On May 24, friends, family, community groups, packed the courtroom in a 
strong show of support for support two of the Sommerville 5, Calvin Belfon, 
Jr. and Isiah Anderson, both 17. They are being tried as adults and face the 
severest charges of all five youth. The prosecutor and the DA are attempting 
to force the case to Superior Court, a vindictive ploy on behalf of the 
Medford Police.

These young men have no prior records and such a serious move is part of a 
frame-up against the 5 students and a continued cover-up of the violent 
actions of the Medford Police. We must continue to keep the pressure on and 
make our voices heard: it is the Medford Police who should be put on trial 
for racial profiling and police brutality.

The week before last, Somerville School Superintendent Albert Argenziano and 
Somerville High School Principal Thomas Galligani indefinitely suspended the 
SHS 5 from school.

Phebe Eckfeldt of the Committee to Defend the SHS 5 Against Police Brutality 
issued the following statement in response to the order to suspend these 
students :

"This action callously disregards the hundreds of people across the U.S., 
and even the world, who called, emailed and faxed Dr. Argenizano's office 
last week demanding the immediate reinstatement of these 5 students. [This 
decision] also callously disregards the 300 SHS students who signed a 
petition asking for their peers' immediate reinstatement. The order to 
suspend can only be seen as a racist, vindictive act, as Massachusetts law 
does not require Argenziano to suspend; it leaves it up to his discretion. 
Apparently the School Superintendent and Principal have appointed themselves 
judge and jury in this case, and decided that the 5 students are 'guilty 
until proven innocent.' Whatever happened to due process?"

Please call, fax or write Middlesex District
Attorney Martha Coakley,
40 Thorndike Street, Cambridge MA 02141
Tel: 617-679-6500
Fax: 617-225-0871
right away and demand:
* Drop the racist, frame-up charges against all 5 youth immediately
* Independent, community investigation into Medford Police
* Stop racial profiling and police brutality

Please continue to call, email or fax the Somerville Superintendent of 
Schools and the School Committee to demand these students be reinstated 
immediately.

* Contact information can be found at
http://www.iacboston.org/somerville_5/what_you_can_do.html
To offer additional assistance or for more information, please contact the 
Women's Fightback Network or the Boston IAC at 617-522-6626 or 
iacboston at iacboston.org

The next court date is scheduled for 9:00 on Thursday, July 7, 2005 at 
Cambridge Superior Court, 40 Thorndike St. in Cambridge (Lechmere stop).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
===BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE SOMMERVILLE 5===
From: "iacboston" <iacboston at iacboston.org>
Reply-To: iacboston at iacboston.org
To: <iacboston at organizerweb.com>
Subject: [IACBoston] Stop Racial Profiling & Police Brutality! AND
Drop All Charges Against the Somerville 5!
Date: Mon, 9 May 2005
==============================
[TO: Western Mass. IACenter] Please read and forward the flyer below 
regarding a very important struggle against police brutality and racial 
profiling in Somerville, MA.

We are appealing to you to immediately call or fax Dr. Albert Argenziano, 
Superintendent of Somerville Schools, demanding that all five students 
immediately be reinstated at Somerville High School, in good standing, with 
no repercussions. The decision to reinstate or expel is currently in the 
hands of Dr. Argenziano and the deadline is Thursday, May 12.

The students have been unjustly suspended for more than 10 days. No court 
has found them guilty but Somerville High School officials has decided they 
are "guilty until proven innocent". This is a travesty of justice. More than 
300 of their peers at Somerville High School signed a petition
requesting their reinstatement. Please help save their futures! Make your 
voice heard!

Dr. Albert Argenziano
Superintendent, Somerville School Department
Phone: 617-625-6600 x6005
or 617-625-6600 x6000
Fax: 617-625-4731
aargenziano at k12.somerville.ma.us

Come & Pack the Court!
Tuesday, May 10, 9:00 AM
Somerville District Court
(Orange Line to Sullivan Station, Bus #92 or #90)

Call the Mayor of Medford, Michael McGlynn to demand that all charges be
dropped Now! - 781-393-2408
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STOP RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE BRUTALITY!

DROP THE FRAME-UP CHARGES AGAINST CALVIN BELFON, CASSIUS BELFON, EARL 
GUERRA, ISIAH ANDERSON & MARQUIS ANDERSON!

Every day, across the country, Black youth and other young people of color 
are the victims of racial profiling and police brutality. Skin color and 
national origin are seen by police as a cause for suspicion and a reason to 
violate people's rights. "Driving while Black" or "walking while Black" are 
an all too common reality for our young people.  Racial profiling can result 
in beatings, maiming, imprisonment and even death.

On April 20, 2005, 5 Black youths from Somerville (Calvin Belfon, 17; 
Cassius Belfon, 15; Earl Guerra, 16; Isiah Anderson, 17; and Marquis 
Anderson, 16) were the victims of racial profiling and a brutal, unprovoked 
attack by Medford Police. The Somerville youths were walking to catch a bus 
home and stopped at a Store 24 nearby. Outside they were confronted by a 
heavily armed Medford police officer. He grabbed Calvin Belfon by the throat 
and punched him twice in the face. Fearing serious bodily harm or worse, 
Belfon defended himself. His brothers and friends came to his aid. When 
Calvin appealed for the cop to stop, he responded by calling him a racist 
name. A police riot ensued with at least 10 cops armed with guns, clubs, 
mace and flashlights, beating the 5 youths. All 5 young people sustained 
injuries to the face and head and all were maced. Calvin and Isiah were 
clubbed on their heads with a flashlight. All later went to the hospital for 
treatment. Police also gang-profiled the youths as evidenced by asking them 
what their "street names" were.

A cover-up of this vicious assault by the Medford Police quickly followed. 
In pre-fabricated stories, police told the media they were "fighting for 
their lives," the "teens turned on them", they "were overwhelmed", etc. 
Absurd lies like these are commonly used by police to cover up abuse and pin
it on the victims in order to get away with it. Needing a probable cause for 
the unprovoked attack, the police claimed the youths were making trouble in 
the Store 24 and that they tried to grab cops' weapons.

All five of these young people are students at Somerville High School who 
get good grades and have never been in trouble at school -- or with the law. 
They are all excellent athletes (members of the football, track and 
basketball teams) and respected by their peers. All five attend church on a 
regular basis. All dream of going to college. They have been unjustly 
suspended from school. They have been charged with assault with a deadly 
weapon, assault and battery, and disorderly conduct. The future of these 
promising students and athletes is now in jeopardy.

Our youth have a right to walk down the street, attend an event, or drive 
their cars free from police harassment, both psychological and physical. We 
need to come together as a community and demand this - as allies, parents, 
guardians, educators, peers, and residents.

Support the call to: Drop all charges now. Reinstate the students at SHS 
immediately. Conduct an independent investigation into police actions on 
April 20, 2005.  Stop racial profiling and police brutality.

Come & Pack the Court!
Tuesday, May 10, 9:00 AM
Somerville District Court
(Orange Line to Sullivan Station, Bus #92 or #90)

Call the Mayor of Medford, Michael McGlynn to demand that all charges be
dropped Now! - 781-393-2408

Issued by: Committee to Defend the Somerville High School 5 Against Police
Brutality c/o Women's Fightback Network & International Action Center - 
617-522-6626
_______________________________________________
This e-mail sent by the
Western Massachusetts
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER
wmassiac at hotmail.com
wmass at nodraftnoway.org
http://www.iacenter.org
http://www.troopsoutnow.org
http://www.peoplejudgebush.org
----------------------
Founded in 1992 by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, the 
INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER was an initiator of the ANSWER Coalition and 
helped organize the newly formed TROOPS OUT NOW! Coalition. For regular 
local updates on our activities, join our low-volume listserv by clicking 
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