Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Struggle for Justice for Jody Woodfox Continues!

Tonight, Robin Glenn, the aunt of Jody "Mack" Woodfox III, along with members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement spoke out on the open forum portion of the Oakland City Council meeting.

The demands are clear;
1. Jail killer cop Hector Jimenez for the shooting deaths of Woodfox and 20 year old Andrew Moppin.
2 Reparations to the families of Woodfox and Moppin.
3. Economic development, not police containment of the African and oppressed communities in Oakland.

During the meeting, the city council honored the 38 new police officers added to the force, making it the largest in the department's history.

Robin Glenn just wanted to know what they were going to do about this police officer still being on the force who had killed two people. 

City council member Desley Brooks later told Uhuru Movement organizers that the issue of the police officer's killings could not be on the city council agenda because there was an investigation pending.

How much investigating do they need to do when Jody "Mack" Woodfox was shot six times in the back according to their own records?  How can a police department rife with rights violations and police brutality lawsuits filed against it, investigate itself with any objectivity? 

This is a war mongering city council that profits from the U.S. counterinsurgency war carried out by the Oakland Police Department against the African community, just like the U.S. counterinsurgency being carried out by the U.S. military in Iraq.  The city of Oakland, whose budget is in crisis, can not continue to pay a murderer his salary (Officer Hector Jimenez is on paid administrative leave).  Just as we should not support the bailout of the Wall Street crooks, we should not support the continued payment of the criminal city council and mayor for their rule without regard for law and their complete disdain for the African and oppressed communities. 

More police will not solve the problem of crime in Oakland, but economic development will. 
Stand on the side of economic justice and reparations to the African community!
Come out to the Sunday meeting of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement on Sunday, November 23rd at the Uhuru House at 4pm, 7911 MacArthur Blvd in East Oakland. 
For more information, call 510-569-9620.