Revolution#117, January 27, 2008
Oppose the Lynch Mob Racists! No to Nooses! Free the Jena Six! We Want a Better World!
- UPDATE 1/22/07: Read the STATEMENT FROM THE JANUARY 21ST IN JENA COMMITTEE
- Photos from the protest are available at the web site of The Town Talk newspaper
As we go to press, small but determined groups of people from New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and as far away as Chicago and Los Angeles are traveling to Jena, Louisiana—heeding the call put out by the January 21st Committee to: Oppose the Lynch Mob Racists! No to Nooses! Free the Jena Six! We Want a Better World!
In response to the powerful September 20 protest last year in Jena, when tens of thousands came to support the Jena 6, a white supremacist organization called the “Nationalist Movement” announced plans to march in Jena on January 21, Martin Luther King Day, in 2008. They told people to bring signs calling for jailing the Jena 6, abolishing the Martin Luther King holiday, and “down with communism.” They openly encouraged people to DISPLAY NOOSES!! On January 16, they announced plans to march armed—and were later forced to back off of this blatant threat to openly terrorize Black people and anyone who opposes white supremacy.
The Call to “Get to Jena” and “politically oppose and drown out” the hateful, racist message of these kkkluckers quickly got nationwide support and a growing list of endorsers that included: Black and white residents of Jena, some parents of the Jena 6, 60 people from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago, Cornel West, Herb Boyd, Cindy Sheehan, and Medea Benjamin. (Go to januaryinjena.blogspot.com to read the Call, the full list of signatories, press coverage, leaflets, posters, and more.)
The January 21st Committee reported receiving e-mails every day from people all over the country, some who were making plans to come to Jena and others who called to say they could not come but wanted to know how they could contribute to sending a message out to the world that these kkkluckers will NOT be tolerated.
At one of the press conferences held by January 21st Committee, the Reverend Raymond Brown, with Louisiana’s National Action Network, said “to come here and spread that type of venom is terrible.” An article in The Town Talk reported that Rev. Brown said the numbers aren’t what is important, what is important is that the message is showing support for the Jena 6, and the people of Jena who are sick and tired of racial hatred in this state.
Revolution newspaper will have coverage of what happens in Jena on Martin Luther King Day, and readers can also go to revcom.us for reports from that day.
The January 21st Committee can be contacted by e-mail at january21injenacomm@yahoo.com and by phone:
318-787-1190.
If you like this article, subscribe, donate to and sustain Revolution newspaper.
