Imagine being on your way to the funeral of one of your loved ones in the company of a group of friends. Without any explanation, the cops arrest you and your friends.
Why? Because your “intimidating” presence served as a means for “probable cause.”
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This is what happened to a group of 32 teenagers from the Bushwick area of Brooklyn, New York, on May 23. They were on their way to the wake of their 18-year-old friend, Donnell McFarland.
The group of African American and Latino teenagers was paying respect to their fallen friend by wearing “Rest in Peace” t-shirts with a picture of Donnell on it. Cops claimed these t-shirts were proof that the teenagers were gang members.
Eyewitnesses also disputed cop charges that the group was disruptive. On the contrary, community residents said that the cops were abusive toward the teens.
During the arrest, the teens asked the cops to explain why they were stopped. All they got in response was, “Shut up, or you are going to jail.” The young men were then rounded up, taken to the 83rd precinct and forced to spend 32 hours in jail.
During those hours, locked up as “criminals,” they were not given anything to eat. A number of family members and friends of the victims had offered to bring them food, but cops refused to allow the food into the cells.
Following the arrest, hundreds of community members mobilized against the police harassment.
A group of students formed the Student Coalition Against Racial Profiling, organizing a protest outside of the 83rd precinct on July 9. A number of groups including the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation joined them to show solidarity with the Bushwick teens and to support their fight against police brutality and racial profiling.
The 32 teens have a court hearing on Aug. 5. “We are going to flood the courtroom,” said Brooklyn activist Jahi Rose. “Every time one of their names is mentioned, we are all going to stand up to show the judge that the Bushwick teens do not stand alone!”
