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Sean Bell Civil Disobedience "Pray-ins" Today

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Photograph of protesters in Harlem on April 26, 2008 by urbanblitz on Flickr

Today at 3 p.m., six pray-ins are planned around Manhattan and Brooklyn to protest the Sean Bell shooting verdict. The Reverend Al Sharpton is leading the events and has said he and other participants are willing to be arrested to make a point about the acquittals of the three police detectives who helped fire a total of 50 shots at the unarmed Bell on November 25, 2006. Sharpton said, "If you are not going to lock up the guilty in this town, then I guess you'll have to lock up the innocent."

However, the NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg do not expect the protests to be violent. The NYPD said, "The vigils and demonstrations related to the Bell case to date have not been violent. We have no reason expect otherwise now," while Bloomberg said, "I think it's another example of people being able to protest in New York City, but rest assured that we will enforce the law and we will do everything we can to make sure we don't violate anybody's rights." (Lesson learned after the 2004 Republican Convention?)

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  • One Police Plaza (Rev. Al Sharpton. Nicole Paultre Bell, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield will be at this location)
  • Varick and Houston Street: Led by Hazel Dukes, NAACP and Labor leaders)
  • 125th and Third Avenue: led by Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of National Action Network)
  • House of the Lord Church, Brooklyn, New York: Led by Rev. Herbert Daughtry
  • Third Avenue and 60th Street: Led by National Action Network Senior Staff
  • 34th and Park Avenue: Led by National Action Network Senior Staff

Newsday notes many of the protest sites "are near transportation pressure points" (the Triborough and Queensboro Bridges, the Queens Midtown and Holland Tunnels). The MTA's Jeremy Soffin said, "We will be in very close contact with the New York Police Department and their command center to reroute buses and redirect people as necessary."

And Sharpton wants the feds to prosecute the police officers, "The city hasn't shown ... the ability to reform itself. We need federal intervention."

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Comments [rss]

  • Snoopy

    I WAS THERE! TALK ABOUT SCARY. I was at the rally at Houston and Varick at about 4:15 this afternoon and I must say it was horrific. I came out of the subway and all these cops were standing around not knowing where to go and then there was this wave of protesters, and I almost pissed my pants.



    Reality check here. There might have been 150 people in total, 80% white from NYU. It was a two for one. The cops must be laughing their ass off getting double time for this bullshit protest. If Rev AL HAD THE BALLS HE WOULD CALL FOR RIOTS. Against what? Who knows.

  • ihateallbrokers

    yeah from my secret hideout i see lower and upper level south bound traffic on the 59th st bridge just fine. just fine



    a DUD of a protest, the ny post is going to lampoon sharpton tomorrow.



    DAMM DO SOME RIOTING, scare away the yuppies, gentrifiers, hipsters and stroller moms

  • thefacts

    Just came back from the Houston and Varick demo, and it was b.s.



    Just about 50 people going around in circles. I heard the leader say to the crowd, "we keep marching

    in a circle for a while, then we walk down town"



    This was an hour into the 'demo' at 4 pm



    Those guys looked like they were not going to get arrested. More cops and news crews than demonstrator.



    Score another cheap publicity campaign for Fat Al.

  • Spear_Chucker

    So...what's it like out there? Anyone near those locations know what's going on? Any riots?

  • jaja007

    I had to suffer all the above because that fat raisin Al Sharpton decided to screw up traffic, and I had to ride the train instead of riding into work today.

  • jaja007

    So I had to sit in a train next to the old fishy smelling chinese lady who was hocking up loogs from her lungs, the squat little Mexican dude who just had to stand 1 inch from me, and the little black thug who mumbled "excoos me" when he bumped into me.



    I also saw two fruits holding hands, and had to smell the sweaty odor of a bearded old jewish guy who decided to wear full winter garb and a big friggin hat.



    Thanks, fat Al; for ruining my day.

  • ihateallbrokers

    50 shots = 50 dead cops!

  • CKNY

    Of course Sharpton is going to target working people. His constituency is made up of the non-working, hence people with jobs are the enemy

  • ANGRYGOD11

    Federal intervention?

    Good idea!

    Just call that compassionate fellow in the White House.

    I'm sure he will help you.

  • ANGRYGOD11

    I'm not a mathematical genius, but one million lesbians and the Million Man March equals TWO MILLION who don't do dick.

    Try to get the punchline right.

  • twakum

    Sharpton is an ASS CLOWN. What a maroon. Can someone please accidently hit the accelerator when they see him on the street?

  • bagelman

    looking at the proximity of the protest sites to major tunnels/bridges, it doesn't take a psychic to see that the aim will be to disrupt traffic. the question is whether it'll happen around rush hour. i'm curious to see how the po po will react to this.

  • plk779

    and by "it" I meant let those cops off the hook.

  • plk779

    I'd like to know how inconveniencing the working people of the city is going to get justice or more people to the cause.. I agree that something needs to be done but it's childish to set out to make everyone's commute extra shitty. WE didn't do it, for god's sake!

  • Muscley Armed Paper Boy

    "We need federal intervention."



    We certainly do, and hopefully the Feds will bring the fire hoses and German shepherds!

  • JenChungsBaby

    According to Sharpton those two cops aren't black, they're blue. I would guess based on this that Al isn't planning to run for mayor again.

  • zodak

    "Slow day at work??"



    if only the people planning on attending this nonsense were busy doing something productive. something that would help their community. something like, i don't know....working!

  • miked1116

    I think the issue is that it was unjust for the cops to be let off. Color is only an issue in this case for the ignorant, uncompassionate, redneck f*cks commenting on this blog.

  • miked1116

    Who said it was racist?

  • Walfredo

    How is it racist when 2 of the 3 cops that got off are black?

  • AnonEMouse

    What? No protests are set for the Times Square/Port Authority area? Amatures. I thought Sharpton likes to go for the jugular?



    If you're gonna make a LOUD statement throughout the city you go where the heavily trafficked areas to cause the most congestion and incovenience thousands? I thought that would be more Sharpton's style...

  • Spear_Chucker

    If you are in a room with Al Sharpton, Kim Il Sung, and Osama Bin Laden, and you have a pistol with only two bullets, what do you do?





    This isn't a hard choice to make since Kim Il Sung is already dead. I'd shoot Fat Al twice.

  • S.D.

    (sigh)

    Love the level of compassion with comments on topics like these...



    Slow day at work??

  • thefacts

    A million people who don't do dick!

  • thefacts

    A million people who don't do dick!

  • thefacts

    If you a million lesbians join the Million Man March what do you get?

  • thefacts

    Put two in Sharpton!



    Just to make sure!

  • Snoopy

    That "woman" in the wheelchair isn't a woman, it's James Brown come back from the dead to help out his long time buddy Rev. Al.

  • Toby von Meistersinger

    If Sharpton wants to shut the city down isn't that an act of terrorism? If so, send him to Gitmo.

  • thefacts

    If you are in a room with Al Sharpton, Kim Il Sung, and Osama Bin Laden, and you have a pistol with only two bullets, what do you do?

  • stereotypical

    @4 - I think she might actually be dancing in her motorized wheelchair that was paid for with taxes.





    .....i got a popsicle in the freezer, you like popsicles don't ya. mmmmmmmm

  • theevilone

    Rev Al should be focusing on the fact that there is still a civil case, police disciplinary action to be taken and a potential federal civil rights investigation. There is still plenty of opportunity for justice, according to him, to be served.

  • Muscley Armed Paper Boy

    Also, I love the fat woman in the picture above who is struggling to stand up and/or breathe.

  • JDSX

    If anyone owns a sniper rifle, now's the time to save black people by taking out Sharpton. You know where he'll be.

  • Snoopy

    It will be a good time for the police to check out their new automatic weapons.

  • Muscley Armed Paper Boy

    Al Sharpton is like Freddy Krueger, if you stop paying attention to him he will cease to exist!



    And if Al thinks racism is bad now, wait until he turns Midtown in rush hour gridlock today over this nonsense.



    If he wants to make a difference he should organize protests at known drug corners, housing projects where gang murders have occured, etc.

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