Sharpton vows to 'close this city' after officer acquittals

[BigDaddy44]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Hundreds of angry people marched through Harlem on Saturday after the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to "close this city down" to protest the acquittals of three police detectives in the 50-shot barrage that killed a groom on his wedding day and wounded two friends.

"We strategically know how to stop the city so people stand still and realize that you do not have the right to shoot down unarmed, innocent civilians," Sharpton told an overflow crowd of several hundred people at his National Action Network office in the historically black Manhattan neighborhood. "This city is going to deal with the blood of Sean Bell."

Sharpton was joined by the family of 23-year-old Sean Bell - a black man - and a friend of Bell who was wounded in the 2006 shooting outside a Queens strip club. Two of the three officers charged were also black.

The rally at Sharpton's office was followed by a 20-block march down Malcolm X Boulevard and then across 125th Street, Harlem's main business thoroughfare, where some bystanders yelled out "Kill the police!"

Read more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080426/D909P8SG0.html

[rfranklin]

1. He's having a hard time making it racial this time...

since the cops were from various races and ethnic groups.

[bushesass]

2. Two african americans and a lebanese.

Black racism must be slim pickings these days. lol

[cstanleytech]

3. Well, true. That aside for once

I actually kinda support him in something as I dont really agree with the verdict.
I mean I could see perhaps intially the officers having a fear for their lives but to then take the time to realize they are out of ammo and reload and then open fire again and keep shooting I just dont buy....unless of course the officers involved are all trigger happy in which case I hope they never pull me over or anyone else for speeding and lets not imagine what would happen if they caught someone jay walking.

[sam sarrha]

5. it wasnt racist it is MORE GODAMED CRAZY COPS.. THEY NEED TO DO BACKGROUND's ON THEM

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

6. Do you honestly believe they don't do background checks on NYPD candidates?

Please tell me you are smarter than that.

David

[bitchkitty]

14. Evidently those tests are easy to fool - or they don't work.

Or there are serious problems with training. Not just NY, cops here in Portland are very trigger-happy, especially with mentally disabled minority citizens.

[Lost-in-FL]

8. Who said it was racial?

This is about police abuse, plain and simple.

[jasmine621]

11. Well the justice systeme sure is racist when it come to black victims.

I think there would have been a different verdict had the victims been white.

[marshall]

15. Black on Black crime is a huge inner city problem

I'm glad to see Sharpton addressing it.

[fascisthunter]

16. Was He Trying to Make This Racial?

I'm not sure you are right about that.

[booley]

17. Why does it have to be racial?

They repeatedly shot a group of unarmed men over and over. One of the cops had been drinking.

The racial composition of either of the parties is not relevant.

[sam sarrha]

4. they thought that black man stold that Tux at that wedding.. how many times did they shoot him in

the bottom of his feet..?? i forget

[creeksneakers2]

7. This is bad all the way around

Sharpton will stir up racial resentments which will hurt Obama.

The right will make the case that political violence is justified since blacks are doing it, so the right can engage in it too. If we get close to having a black elected president, racists might have a dangerous reaction.

And of course, I don't go along with harming the City of New York.

They only had hundreds of marchers and should have even less at a later date. Still, Sharpton needs to back off.

[Kayakbiker]

9. it's not about hurting NY City

or Obama, or race. It's about justice for wrongful actions. Sean Bell didn't have a weapon. Someone needs to be accountable.

No one is accountable at all levels of government. The system is broken. Take to the streets.

[olddad56]

10. I don't like fascism much, I miss living in a democracy.

[Judi Lynn]

12. What's your purpose in trying to drag out a controversy about Al Sharpton?

I had to click this link just to see who the #### you are, as I've never seen your name before.

We've had decades of pure assholes attempting to fire up hatred by tossing out names of controversial people they apparently despise as members of a race they fear and won't leave alone.

Grow up.

Don't bother to try to respond to this post, as I'm disappearing it, and will never know. I just had to find out who you were, and what your comments were, if any.

In case you're not aware, Democrats ARE integrated, by now. Racism is NOT popular with Democrats. Any attempt to try to kick up a scuffle by race-baiting is purely cheap, and underhanded.

[alarimer]

13. This is about a corrupt justice system in which prosecutors (and judges) protect cops

They are on the same side, as often as not.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

18. I just wanna know whos payin Sharpton to play the race card again..

here we go, another election year and now Obama's running strong and someone

gets Sharpton to mouth off and show everyone how uppity and angry the blacks

can be. Shut down New York??? Come on Al... this is B.S.

I wanna know whose payroll you're on.... cuz it sure seems to benefit both McCain

and Hillary. Yeah, I know the outcome of the Bell trial was unfair, but to say you're gonna shut down New York

is some pretty serious shit!!!

I can just hear FOX NEWS now... God help us......

[NoGOPZone]

19. I wanna know who's dumb enough not to vote for Obama

simply because of something Al Sharpton says or does. Anybody whose perception of how 'uppity and angry the blacks can be' based on Sharpton's proposed actions isn't going to be voting for Obama to begin with.

[booley]

20. Maybe no one is paying him

Maybe Sharpton is an activist and does this because this is what he does and he believes in what he does.

Maybe Sharpton is so used to seeing things through a Racial filter that he tends to put lots of things that way.

Maybe this shooting is bad regardless of the race of either the victims or the shooters.

Maybe FOX news, will put anything done by a Non-Conservative in a bad light regardless of what it is. Because maybe they see that as their job.

So Maybe.. just maybe.. we should NOT base our outrage or opinions over what is or is not an injustice based on what our enemies who will always find fault with us might say.

Oh and I don't think as many voters know about this case as you think. I only know because of Democracy Now. As much as I wish otherwise, most Americans dont' watch Democracy Now. and so have probably never heard of Bell.