‘SAVE TOOKIE’ protest in London
http://savetookie.org/
Called by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defence of Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams
(An initiative of the Socialist Labour Party Youth, Artists Against Criminalisation and Che-Leila)
‘SAVE TOOKIE’ protest
Sunday 11th December
2pm @ LA Times office 116-118 Brompton Road
3pm @ CBS office, 68 Knightsbridge
Nearest tube station Knightsbridge
We are calling for people to join the protest in London on Sunday to defend the life and work of African-American Stanley Tookie Williams, especially urgent in light of his execution date in the US State of California on 13th December.
We believe that he is unjustly imprisoned due to the fact that he received an unfair trial. As examples of the unjustness of the trial, the prosecutor in Tookie's original case removed three African-American jurors from the jury; During Tookie’s trial, this prosecutor made racist remarks during his closing argument, comparing Tookie during the trial to a Bengal tiger in the zoo and stating that a black community - South Central Los Angeles - was equivalent to the natural "habitat" of a Bengal Tiger. Furthermore, in exchange for lighter sentences, some people charged with murder and rape, said that Tookie confessed his guilt to them - clearly a fabrication.
We support Tookie’s hugely effective work that he has conducted from his prison isolation cell in turning tens of thousands of young people from oppressed working class communities away from a life of gang violence against their own people and communities towards a life of rebuilding their communities and livelihoods. As a former gang leader, and founder of the South LA street gang ‘The Crips’, he is the most effective and best-placed person to turn youth away from anti-community and anti-people gang activities. As long as he is alive, he has the potential to save thousands more lives.
His series of eight books against gang-violence is used in elementary schools across the US to educate young people about the dangers of gang activities.
For this work he has received an award from President George Bush, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times!
It is in the interests of all those who want a positive alternative for our communities, particularly the youth, away from the societal decay, poverty and violence, and towards building positive alternatives for themselves and the community in which they live, to support Tookie in the continuation of his excellent work, and against his pending execution.
● We believe Tookie has redeemed himself from his past
gang activities, and is now a pioneer in the work of turning
youth away from destructive gang life
● We believe that Tookie should be freed so as to send a
message that resolving the problems in our communities
is a greater issue than the persecution of one person
● We believe that Tookie’s continued imprisonment
and death row status profoundly hinders the work of
communities in their efforts to eradicate anti-social gangs
● We demand that Tookie is saved from execution
● We demand that California State Governor, Arnold
Schwarznegger, grant clemency for Tookie, and hence
save him from execution
http://savetookie.org/
Sunday 11th December
2pm @ LA Times office 116-118 Brompton Road
3pm @ CBS office, 68 Knightsbridge
Nearest tube station Knightsbridge
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=527648&y=179500&z=1&sv=527750,179250&st
=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
In order to set-up a more on-going Save Tookie campaign,
there will be discussions in about this after the protest.
Venue to be announced at the protest or for more details call:
Matthew on 07765 998 581 or
SK on 07709 112 126
Email: lalsalaam@hotmail.com
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