Reportback from Kwame Ture Brigade march to Justice or Else rally
On the 10th of October, the All-African People's Revolutionary Party held a march from Malcolm X Park, past the White House, to the Mall. The Mall was the site of the massive "Justice or Else" rally held on the anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March. Many at the Justice or Else rally spoke on the crisis of ongoing police murder of African-American youth. Earlier in the week, the head of the US Capitol Police was forced to apologize for an email predicting "violence" at this event(there was none to be seen). The Park Police did not seem to take any overtly aggressive action but did have an armored vehicle on site, along with a long line of horse trailers in reserve.
There is a long history of use of horses (as well as dogs) against civil rights marches in the US. There is also a long history of false predictions of violence issued by police before large civil rights events in DC. Back in 1963, police claimed to expect violence at MLK's historic March on Washington. History showed their claim to be utter and complete fabrications so far as the marches and rallies in question were concerned, and once again this has played out in DC.
At the earlier All-African People's Revolutionary Party rally at Malcolm X Park, speakers took the time to thank Cuba for sheltering freedom fighters like Assata Shakur and other Black Liberation fighters. There is a lot of pressure on Cuba right now to extradict Assata, but Cuba has told the US to take a hike on this issue, same as before. Assata has reportedly had to go into hiding, fearing abduction by US forces operating illegally in Cuba.
http://rollingout.com/2015/10/08/capitol-police-newsletter-predicts-viol...
Video clips of the Kwame Ture Brigade march plus horse cops and armored vehicle
The Kwame Ture Brigade's march from an overpass on 16th st
Horse trailers of the US Park Police near the Justice or Else rally
A Lenco Bearcat armored vehicle belonging to the US Park Police near Justice or Else
From 7th st the crowd could be seen to extend building to building, not street to street, so the Mall was filled nearly to 7th st almost double-width. As I shot this photo the Mall behind my back was fenced off to re-seed grass. No doubt grass is more important than justice to some.
