Justice for Oscar Grant Committee: Official Statement
- Arrest and Jail Mehserle for the Murder of Oscar Grant — Right Now!
- Drop All Charges Against All Protesters — Right Now!
- No More Police Murder!
Justice for Oscar Grant!
Oscar Grant was a young Black man returning home by way of the Fruitvale BART station after celebrating the New Year. This was the only excuse the cop needed to end Grant’s life execution-style. Maybe Oscar was too loud, too proud, too Black. Maybe he was too calm during the taunts of the police. Or maybe it was for nothing at all.
The oppression of Black people runs deep in this country. Emmet Till was killed in 1955 by white racists for the “crime” of whistling at a white woman. More than five thousand African-American people were brutally lynched, from 1882 to 1964, often in a carnival-like atmosphere, with people posing for pictures next to the burnt bodies of Black human beings hanging from a tree.
Today, it is mostly the police who carry out the system’s brutality and terror against Black people, youth and people of color. Look at the case of Sean Bell, killed by the NYPD in 2006, while out celebrating before his wedding day. And on the same day that Oscar Grant was killed, Adolph Grimes was shot by New Orleans police, 14 times, 12 in the back, killed while sitting in a car outside his grandmother’s house. And in Houston, Robbie Tolan was shot and wounded by police in his own front yard after being the victim of racial profiling. This needs to stop!
In Oakland, on the day of Oscar Grant’s funeral, people refused to accept the unacceptable and began to stand up and demand justice for Oscar Grant! They made a powerful statement as youth and others took to the streets. We firmly uphold the spirit of these protests, and we promise to awaken, mobilize, encourage and help to build massive political resistance demanding justice for Oscar Grant. We challenge everyone to do the same. If you have joined the struggle, struggle harder. If you have not yet acted or spoken up, now is the time to demand the following:
- Arrest and Jail Mehserle for the Murder of Oscar Grant — Right Now!
- Drop All Charges Against All Protesters — Right Now!
- No More Police Murder!
- Justice for Oscar Grant Committee
email: justiceforoscargrant@gmail.com
(This statement was written as the committee was formed on the night of January 11, 2009 at an emergency mobilization meeting on Oscar Grant at Revolution Books in Berkeley, CA.)
January 19th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Oscar Grant was a wonderful young man. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met. You could feel his good heart and kind spirit. His needless tragic death will not be in vain. The city of Oakland and this country will never be the same again because of the murder of young Oscar Grant. Oscar Grant lives on in all of us who believe in justice, and in those of us who truly want to hear those bells of freedom ring.
It is so very sad that this young man could not be alive to see Barack Obama being sworn in as President of The United States. OUr work for justice begins now.
January 28th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I’m from England and have just watched the brutal murder of Oscar Grant on youtube. Where is the justice in the world? I this day in age, after all that our people have been through over hundreds of years at the hands of such evil racist people….we still are faced with the prospects of not coming home through to police brutality. What is justice when those responsible for upholding the law are the same ones breaking it by taking away lifes based on colour, perception and ignorance.
My thoughts,prayers and condolences are set over seas in abundance to the friends and family of Oscar Grant.
Although justice for Oscar will not bring back his life, I hope that it sends out a message to those who feel they have the right to take away a mans life, that as a collective, a commUnity we stand strong…as a collective, a comnUnity we will nolonger be pushed around and be unheard victims of police brutality or institutional racism. As a collective, a commUnity we will protect,shelter and be an example to the next generation.
Stay strong and God bless all those who are marching for Justice for Oscar Grant. Please, fight this cause with their own policy not with (gun) powder…its not about stooping down to their level!!
SB
February 27th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
[...] promptly started gathering and distributing video, photo and other updates about this case. Their official statement links the “execution-style” killing to “the system’s brutality and terror [...]
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
[...] rapidamente começou a coletar e distribuir vídeos, fotos e outras atualizações sobre o caso. A declaração oficial [en] deles associa o assassinato com “método de execução” com “a brutalidade [...]