Green Party urges dropping all Jena Six charges, probe racism in justice system
Green Party US (press release), DC
Green Party of the United States www.gp.org
Contacts: Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org Shawn Christy, Green Party of Louisiana Coordinating Committee, 318-218-7159, revolutionarylove@gmail.com
Greens urge Louisiana to drop all charges against the Jena Six, call for a national discussion of racial bias in criminal justice systems throughout the US
WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders called on the State of Louisiana to drop all charges in the Jena Six prosecution, and urged a national discussion on the US justice system’s unequal treatment of African Americans and other people of color.
Greens will be among the thousands rallying in front of the Jena, Louisiana, courthouse on Thursday, September 20, as the next Jena Six trial begins. Many Greens and the DC Statehood Green Party have contributed to the Jena Six defense fund. (For background on the Jena Six, see the article links below.)
The Green Party of Louisiana , at its September 8 statewide convention, passed a resolution by consensus declaring, “We, as the Green Party of Louisiana call for the justice and freedom of the Jena 6, the Angola 3, Gary Tyler, and all other political prisoners.”
“Two things are obvious about the Jena Six prosecution — first, that the extreme charges would never have been brought against the students if they had been white, and second, that if not for the national attention the case has drawn, the students would have already quietly been thrown in jail,” said Malik Rahim, former Green city council candidate in New Orleans.
“We urge the Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to drop all of the charges against Jena Six defendants, but that’s not enough. The case has focused attention on how the legal system treats black and brown people, and how poor Americans and people of color suffer more severe charges and harsher sentencing, inadequate legal representation, and plea bargain deals forced on the innocent. Let this be an occasion for a national debate on how to restore justice to our criminal justice system,” added Mr. Malik, who is also co-founder and organizer of the Common Ground Collective , which provides relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast region and support in rebuilding affected communities in the New Orleans area. [more]