New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, September 28, about a dozen people packed the municipal court for activist Toni Jones of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Jones is facing trumped-up misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace and disturbing city council. She was arrested on March 30 during a city council meeting where Shanta Scott and supporters gave public comment on corrupt Sargeant Victor Gant Jr of the New Orleans Police Department.

Before Jones’s court hearing, the crowd gathered in front of the building with a loud speaker to chant and give speeches. They held signs reading “Stop NOPD corruption” and “Justice for Jace Lee Scott.”

“From our perspective, the person who disturbed the peace is Victor Gant Jr of the NOPD. He’s a crooked cop who steals justice from grieving families. The people who disturbed the city council meeting are the group of police officers who surrounded and tried to intimidate a mother fighting for justice,” said Toni Mar of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“It’s a shame how this system is treating people like us,” said Shanta Scott, mother of Jace Lee Scott. “They attack us, but they should be attacking the New Orleans Police Department. They should be attacking every officer that was sitting in the police station over there while the corruption was going on. My child was murdered. This has to stop, from the DA’s office all the way down to the municipal court! Why attack us, and not attack them?” said Scott.

Inside, a city attorney filed for a continuance on the case, citing the need to subpoena more witnesses and a missing police report. Jones will appear before the court again for trial on November 24, the day Jace Lee Scott was murdered by Andrew Gant in 2019.

“On November 24, we are going to come out strong to demand justice for Jace on the date of his angelversary. We have to show these officers that they can’t bully us, we are standing our ground,” said Mar.

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