BANG 4 CHANGE ! CIVIL RIGHTS COOKOUT ON 3rd ST ! OFF THE HOOK

BANG $ CHANGE ! CIVIL RIGHTS COOKOUT ON 3rd ST ! OFF THE HOOK !
by Patrisha Tulloch, POWER

Sun., Oct. 23--Bang4Change/Civil Rights Cookout hosted by the Idriss Stelley Foundation (ISF) was a solemn yet uplifting tribute to the survivors of unarmed civilians murdered by law enforcement in the Bay Area within the past decade, as well as a kick-off fundraiser and public awareness rally for the growing number of police brutality victims.

The gathering drew a crowd of over 300 people who came out to help towards the start-up of a civil rights fund for victims of police brutality along with learning more about such victims. The event was sponsored by ISF and supported by such groups as Bayview Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP), Police Observers Working to Effect Reform (POWER), and SF October 22nd Coalition Against Police Brutality. The event?s main thrust was to assist victims such as Tyrelle Taylor and Gina Hinton and to raise public awareness on how both recently survived being shot multiple times by renegade cops and how both victims were later falsely charged and wrongfully jailed.

In a surprise visit, SF Public Defender Jeff Adachi came and spoke poignantly about the need for the Bayview-Hunters Point community to continue fighting the good fight for Taylor, the 18-year-old Bayview-Hunters Point resident, who on Sept. 9, 2005 was shot five times in the back by renegade San Francisco Police Officers, yet "miraculously survived", as Adachi pointed out. Taylor in a wheelchair with three bullets still lodged in his young body was arraigned Sept. 14 in Superior Court, charged with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

Taylor had remained in the medical ward of the County Jail on $150,000 bail. On Oct. 14 Taylor was released to his family and is now awaiting a preliminary hearing put off from Oct. 19 , the court date for his trial is to be set in January 2006 . Strongly convinced of Taylor?s innocence, ISF, P.O.W.E.R., along with private donors helped in raising the $15,000 needed for his bail.

At Sunday?s gathering, Adachi points out to the supporters of police brutality victims that those committed to fighting such injustice must be willing to encourage potential witnesses to continue to come forward on Taylor?s behalf. Adachi is Taylor?s attorney-of-record and will be representing him during his continuing ordeal. Adachi says that anyone who witnessed the shooting of Taylor should call him at (415) 553-9520.
For more background log onto http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Justice4Tyrell/

Family members of those slain by law enforcement in the Bay Area were the featured guest speakers. They are, chronologically, as follows: For Mark Garcia, age 31, unarmed and unlawfully beaten and pepper-sprayed to death by SFPD on April 4, 1996, his brother, Danny Garcia ; for Richard Rosenberg, age 33, allegedly armed with a 5-inch folding knife, unlawfully shot to death by Fremont law enforcement in 1999 in Fremont, his father, Frank Rosenberg; for Idriss Stelley, age 23, unarmed and unlawfully shot to death by SFPD at the Metreon Theatre on June 11, 2001, his mother mesha Monge-Irizarry , Director, ISF; for Richard Tims, age 33, disabled, weighing only 100 lbs, unarmed and unlawfully shot to death on Geneva and Mission Streets by SFPD on March 15, 2002, his father, Arthur Tims; for Cammerin Boyd, age 28, and disabled (he had two prosthetic legs), unarmed and unlawfully shot to death on the streets of the Western Addition on May 5, 2004, his mother Attorney Marylon Boyd; for Julio Ayala, age 26, unarmed and unlawfully beaten and smothered to death by SSFPD on April 3, 2005, his Parents Julio Sr., Mirna Ayala and sister Tania; for Gus Rugley, age 21, unarmed and unlawfully shot to death by SFPD on June 29, 2004, his mother Elvira Pollard ; and, for Craig Holden, age 21, unarmed after having been reportedly "restrained" by SFPD at the Bayview-Hunters Point Police Precinct, on Sept. 21, 2005, his wife, Toni Holden, and sister DeEbony Holden as well as Craig?s Mom.

Also on hand was Doris Henderson, the mother of Gina Hinton, who on May 26, 2005 was unlawfully shot 8 times by a Colma City police officer who opened fire on the 28-year-old young woman in San Francisco proper after she had evaded arrest as a shoplifting suspect in San Mateo County. Hinton had dead-ended in an alley and was trapped by the Colma City police officer and two SFPD squad cars who had then cut her car off after Gina had put up her hands in surrender to show that she was unarmed. Hinton suffered one shot to the head and seven shots to the upper torso, yet survived. Hinton was just recently transferred from the medical ward of the County Jail to the general adult population at 850 Bryant on charges of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

Additionally, Shirley Gallathe, the mother of Brian Spears, considered to be the victim of racial profiling, was on hand to appeal to those gathered to lend support to her son who is jailed at 850 Bryant and currently awaiting trial in February 2006 on charges of armed robbery and attempted murder and is on $1.5 million bail. Spears? mother publicly displayed a recent photograph of her son along side a still shot taken from a store?s video camera to show how in contrast the real perpetrator could not be her son. Brian's own son, Brian Jr, 15 yr. disabled young Brither bravely attended th event!

Overall, there are no real words to convey the magnitude of the unprecedented public awareness/civil rights event. All that can be said is that the outpouring of grief and frustration at the failure of the criminal justice system, the social mechanism intended to check the kind of mindless depravity that took the lives of so many, or threatened to take the lives of others, as well as imprison them for life, was overwhelming. Humbling is the only word that comes to mind at the kind of monumental strength that it must take to bear up under such unimaginable loss as well as the horrifying threat of such loss.

Marylon Boyd, Cammerin?s mother touched on the sad reality suffered by all those whose loved ones were senselessly slain by law enforcement when she said, "All of us have lost our loved ones to lawlessness." Unanimously, those gathered all chanted, "She?s gotta go," a directive aimed at District Attorney Kamala Harris when the event?s dialogue turned to how it is the responsibility of the District Attorney to prosecute rogue cops with the understanding that no one is above the law, especially law enforcement whose job it is to protect and serve.

Patrisha Tulloch, Client Advocate with P.O.W.E.R., was mistress of ceremonies. On hand also were Sister Kissi and Hermano Lucas of the Bayview CEDP, many City Youth and Alicia Tang Director of Youth Empowerment Funding Advisory Board at DCYF, Kiilu of the Black Panthers, Kim Shree Maufas, former Thurdgood Marshall High School PTA President, Brother Matt from Ella Baker Center, Sharon Jones from King Garvey, Dr. Ahimsah Sumchai, Rita Akayama, head of SF October 22nd Coalition Against Police Brutality, Mattie Scott from the SF Healing Circle, PamPam Director of the SF Peacemakers, brothers of the 3rd Street Nation of Islam , and many other local religious and human rights advocacy groups. Entertainment included local poet and self-professed mayoral candidate Toni, poet and recent police harrassment Marlon Crump and acapella rap artist Charles Rap4Rights, as well as Pam Pam, "Da Imposing Figure". Ace "in-your-face" Washington, long standing Western Addition activist and anchor on KPOO provided the security. And the marvelous food was prepared by Raymond. Sound was provided by DJ Undercut, let's not forget our awesome cleaning crew Brothers Kenny and C.C !.

Although the event was supposed to last from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, it went on until way past 8:00. Over 210 people signed the Idriss Stelley Foundation guest book going on record as those willing to stand up for what is right.
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