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Vol. XX No. 1 "You Don't Want The Roni! You Can't Handle The Roni!" September 9, .wrwpra - -- -R-- -- -agaa-~ P I R~C· aF~ 1~~-- ~ rers - -a -- ra a I IWT ~~a - apY-L t:'e '·'·'· ~~ R '''' """ :·~ ·:·tt.· ISSUES nni/ilS~~And rt AOi^ : : *;' *.:> v:...... ........ gunted riot p( qsque in oacKgrouna ..i.... '.. iiiiii^ I I LLtCfl oreaK jor"ca jatll v at me marcn 1Vi '4~ 4 iiiii:iiii::::iiiiiiji:i ii ... ..•" .'.:..i•.. ...... -. ' t.:. ....... ---.-, ?7 .""" i r ii~i~i :C: t3i;i! i: c &· :I ::. i 3~ k / he riot police Keaay for --- Photos and text by Daniel Yohannes S Flippin' a I , THE STONY BROOK PRESS PAGE 2 bYIP~ II C ---~---I-- - It~LP~ - -- 1L-- -- llp~lL4~b-~ , ~_ --e~c- , ~ I ~ ~ ----- --- - I Ir ISSUES By Daniel Yohannes varied from reminders of the need for better educa- Donations were solicited from the crowd. tion for youth, to the dangers of drugs, AIDS, and "We gotta put some green in this black machine," It was billed as the Million Youth March police brutality. The first major issue raised was that organizers said. Money was passed through many by its organizers, and a poorly-organized, prob- of reparations. Marchers were told that a man hands to a central collection point and thrown lem-causing, hate march by its critics. It was nei- named Silas Muhammad had appeared before a from overlooking windows. Crowds cheered as ther of these things. There were nowhere near a subcommittee of the United Nations Human Rights money seemed to fall from the sky. million people; they were, for the most part, not Council to further the cause of reparations to be As money was being collected, a new youths; there was no marching; it was quite well paid to descendants of slaves and victims of the mood became apparent in the police. They began organized; and there was very little hate. slavery holocaust. He demanded reparations to to line up facing the marchers and organizers. It was a stand. People were herded in and include land and "untold trillions of dollars." He Chairwoman Erika Boyd promoted a penned up behind metal barricades. According to defined reparations and said "We know the identity renewed commitment to future generations. She police estimates, 6,000 people were in attendance. of the criminals. Payment of the debt is long over- encouraged attendees to stop buying Tommy Hilfiger The number may be deflated; people were filter- due. We want it now and we want the interest." The and spend money within their own communities. ing in and out of the march site all afternoon. rhetoric supporting reparations was heated and an Herbert Smalls spoke of the rage that fuels Toward the end of the march, that number dwin- obvious educational goal of the organizers. Khallid Muhammad's controversial rhetoric. With dled to just over a thousand. One speaker, Chief Ernie Longwalk, pre- the caveat that he did not support all of The event began at noon, and was slated to sented the native American viewpoint, remarking, Muhammad's statements, he expressed support continue for four hours. Shortly after twelve, the "When the first slave escaped, he was sheltered by for the man and his sacrifice ih organizing the police were already limiting access to the site. The my ancestors. From that day on, we became blood march. The next speaker recited what she called a permit for the march allowed it to take place along brothers." He went on to remind the crowd that voodoo chant that cursed black officers who raise Malcolm X Boulevard. from 118th to 124th Streets. too often members of the minority community their batons against marchers. There was no access to the site from the south end of have "constipation of the mind and diarrhea of the At ten minutes to four, the tension among the demonstration. Police began filling the site at mouth," and closed his speech by leading the the police could be tasted. Khallid Muhammad 123rd Street. Marchers were allowed to enter, but crowd in cheers of "Red and Black Power!" had not yet spoken. The permit was to expire at were kept five blocks from the stage where the speak- The event, touted as "poorly organized," four. At that time, a speaker uttered an epithet. .1--_ 1i- -*- d^nA"lkiql-in in of the current world order, he used ers were spreaamg meir Lu L liLt•ll| While speaking messages. As the north- speakers" was, in the word "honkey," a derogatory term for people ern blocks slowly filled, fact, well- orga- of Caucasian descent. entry at 123rd Street was nized. On the At four p.m, Khallid Muhammad took the closed off and moved to scorching, late- stage. After making blessings and paying respect 121st Street. None of the summer afternoon, to elders in the Nation of Islam, he pointed out to officers controlling no one spoke long the crowd that riot police were surrounding the access were knowledge- enough to bore the stage, and that all the police had changed positions able about the current crowd. Speaker into a more aggressive stance. Muhammad made a entry site. People were after speaker sent seemingly obligatory anti-Semitic remark, and ni-nnino around the sit messages of peace, turned his attention to the police. "We have a right, L U U L L,. v L,%,A ,.... from entrance to entrance seeking access. family, love, and empowerment. a God-given right, and, according to white law, Police were tense but not aggressive. Circulating through the crowd were indi- which isn't worth the paper it's written on, we Members of the Harlem community were present viduals passing out information supporting issues have a constitutional right to defend ourselves as liaisons between marchers and police. Their related to those being raised by the march. against anyone who attacks us...we want you tO be presence may not have been necessary, but it was Militants, Communists, grassroots empowerment steadfast...If anyone attacks you...disconnect the certainly appreciated. organizations, and ordinary but vocal people were railing and beat the hell out of them...you don't Malcolm X Boulevard is a wide avenue using the march as a venue for sharing their ideas. have a gun, but each of them has a gun...Take their with an island separating north and southbound Many were passing information on the incarcera- batons and do what they did to Abner Louima." traffic. The attendees were allowed to stand on the tion of Mumia Abu-Jamal. By five minutes past four, Muhammad sidewalk, on the southbound side of the street, and Supervisor Nelson of the NYPD respond- had left the stage. An NYPD helicopter began a Malcolm X on most of the northbound side of the street. The ed to questions about the number of police present series of dangerously low fly-bys along police retained control and exclusive right-of-way at the event with "Thank you. Take care." An offi- Boulevard. Marchers moved the metal barricades at the intersections and of a lane on the north- cer with the NYPD DCCA said "All this [the barri- to let themselves out, and uniformed police placed bound side of the speech. None of the police were cades and police presence] is for your protection. themselves behind them. Some marchers lingered, wearing riot gear. The stage was located at 118th We have to maintain order, er, control of the crowd. and riot police moved into place. The peaceful Street. By one p.m, all but two blocks were filled. God forbid there's a stampede, or a riot, or some- mood of the march had evaporated, and been The two remaining blocks filled quickly. thing. I mean we have horses standing by a few replaced by one of tense confrontation. Some media One of the first speakers said, "Police bru- blocks away, but we can't really bring them in here. have reported an incident in which police were tality is out of control. We are marching here today We are probably outnumbered 100-to-1." In fact, injured but this reporter saw nothing from ground because Rudy Giuliani and his fascist police are they were outnumbered 2-to-1 at the height of the zero. Riot police replaced speakers on the stage, out of control. We are marching here today because rally, and they outnumbered marchers 3-to-1 at the adding to the confrontational mood. A spokesman too many babies are having babies. We are march- end of the march. for Khallid Muhammad climbed the stage and, ing here today because too many fathers aren't The crowd went wild for local hero Al flanked by riot police, pleaded with the crowd to raising their children. We are marching here today Sharpton, who led the crowd in a stirring round of disperse. The crowd responded to his pleas of go because there is a conspiracy to move black people "No justice. No peace." He spoke of everyone's home with "We are home." As it became apparent out of Harlem." After his short speech, the speaker right to organize and come together to discuss that the remaining marchers were not intimidated said, "Thank you brothers and sisters, and I leave issues important to the community. "With the by the police, he pleaded that everyone get the you in peace." (NYC) surplus budget, they are building jails and women and children "out of the line of fire." The The speakers flowed from one to the next, no schools." He reminded marchers of a boy sitting stalemate lasted about thirty minutes before the each promoting his own message of peace and in a hospital after being shot 17 times by police crowd eventually dispersed peacefully.

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