a1239: Protesters point to racism in shootings, Haitian issue (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Protesters point to racism in shootings, Haitian issue

By Diana Marrero
Miami Bureau
Posted March 13 2002

Miami · More than 400 people gathered downtown Tuesday, holding protest
signs in one hand and bright umbrellas in the other, saying the rain would
not wash away their fervor to fight a number of issues linked by racism.

The rally, organized by a coalition of community groups called Justice Now,
called attention to police shootings as well as the indefinite detention of
200 Haitian immigrants since Dec. 3. Organizers hope uniting the causes will
bring greater clout to the African-American and Haitian-American
communities, two groups that have seldom come together in the past.

"We're all black," said Debra Toomer, a Justice Now member. "The
disenfranchisement here is against all black people."

Brian Dennis, president of Liberty City-based Brothers of the Same Mind,
said the misunderstandings that were once prevalent between the two
communities is fading, giving way to knowledge that both groups are being
discriminated against.

"We found out we're all from the same land," he said.

Holding signs saying, "Stop Using Black Men for Target Practice" and "Free
Haitian Immigrants," ralliers gathered outside the Miami-Dade County
Commission chambers to hear the impassioned cries of activists, church
leaders and relatives of two men who were killed by police.

"We are all in this fight together," said Leon Thomas, whose nephew,
Alphaeus "Duke" Dailey, was shot by a North Miami Beach police officer last
year while fleeing in his wheelchair.

At the rally, organizers detailed a list of demands including ending the
state's fleeing felon law, which allows police to shoot at fleeing suspects,
ending aggressive police programs, using federal rather than internal
investigations on all police shootings and releasing the 200 Haitian
immigrants.

Diana Marrero can be reached at dmarrero@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5005.




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