Minneapolis, MN – 100 people took to the streets of South Minneapolis July 9 to demand justice for Oscar Grant. Over a year ago, on New Year's Day 2009, Oscar Grant, a young African-American man, was murdered by a police officer. He was shot in the back as he lay on his chest on a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) platform in Oakland, California.

People marched two miles down Lake Street, to the cheers of onlookers, protesting Grant’s murder and demanding an end to police brutality. This protest was one of many around the country.

#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #OscarGrant

Los Angeles, CA – Over a year ago, on New Year's Day 2009, Oscar Grant, a young African-American man with a four-year old daughter, was murdered by a police officer. He was shot in the back as he lay on his chest on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) platform in Oakland, California.

Today, a verdict was finally reached. The jury, which included zero African-Americans, found the white officer, Johannes Mehserle, guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Instead of voluntary manslaughter, or second-degree murder – two conviction options presented to the jury – Mehserle gets the same conviction you would get if you accidentally hit someone with your car. This is not a just verdict for the cold-blooded shooting of an unarmed man.

The shooting of Grant was captured on cell phone cameras and circulated on the internet and the footages clearly show Grant face down on the platform, not resisting arrest, posing no threat. Officer Mehserle claimed throughout his trial that he accidentally mistook his pistol for his taser.

Protests erupted in Oakland when news of Grant's death spread. Oscar Grant is a symbol for the oppression of African-Americans and the struggle to resist that oppression. Protests spread again as people who were hoping for justice heard that Mehserle got off the hook.

The officer’s defense tried to paint the murder as a simple accident, an honest mistake. But this is only one tragic example out of many of police harassment and brutality towards African-Americans. The facts are that a white cop pulled a gun on an unarmed black man – a train passenger lying on his chest on the train platform in the early morning hours. The cold hard facts are that even in the year 2010, with an African-American president in the White House, the oppression against the African-American community continues. As do the injustices. Those who hoped there would be justice for Oscar Grant are both saddened and outraged by the verdict.

#LosAngelesCA #PoliceBrutality #OscarGrant

By staff

Los Angeles, CA- Over a year ago, on New Year's Day 2009, Oscar Grant, a young African-American man with a four-year old daughter, was murdered by a police officer. He was shot in the back as he lay on his chest on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) platform in Oakland, California.

Today, a verdict was finally reached. The jury, which included zero African-Americans, found the white officer, Johannes Mehserle, guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Instead of voluntary manslaughter, or second-degree murder – two conviction options presented to the jury – Mehserle gets the same conviction you would get if you accidentally hit someone with your car. This is not a just verdict for the cold-blooded shooting of an unarmed man.

The shooting of Grant was captured on cell phone cameras and circulated on the internet and the footages clearly show Grant face down on the platform, not resisting arrest, posing no threat. Officer Mehserle claimed throughout his trial that he accidentally mistook his pistol for his taser.

Protests erupted in Oakland when news of Grant's death spread. Oscar Grant is a symbol for the oppression of African-Americans and the struggle to resist that oppression. Protests spread again as people who were hoping for justice heard that Mehserle got off the hook.

The officer’s defense tried to paint the murder as a simple accident, an honest mistake. But this is only one tragic example out of many of police harassment and brutality towards African-Americans. The facts are that a white cop pulled a gun on an unarmed black man – a train passenger lying on his chest on the train platform in the early morning hours. The cold hard facts are that even in the year 2010, with an African-American president in the White House, the oppression against the African-American community continues. As do the injustices. Those who hoped there would be justice for Oscar Grant are both saddened and outraged by the verdict.,

#LosAngelesCA #PoliceBrutality #OscarGrant

Oscar Grant died at Mehserle's hands. His name adds to a long list of mostly oppressed nationalities, especially African Americans and the poor, killed by on-duty police officers. His death is yet another example of the national oppression of African-Americans, where police believe themselves to be above the law. Standing over Grant's back, Mehserle heard, “Bitch ass n_____,” from his partner's lips and pulled the trigger, silencing a young Black man with the shameless resolve of a 19th century slave catcher.

After Grant's murder, outrage in the city of Oakland was strong. Thousands of residents organized for weeks demanding Mehserle's arrest. At the time, it was unclear if he would be tried with a crime at all. With the trial phase set, his defense attorney persuaded the court to move the trial from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where Oscar Grant's killing was less known. Local community groups took up the call to demand justice for Oscar Grant. With the verdict in, organizers are calling for mass demonstrations.

#LosAngelesCA #PoliceBrutality #OscarGrant