[News] Two arrested in new noose incident near Jena

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/09/21/car.nooses/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Two arrested in noose incident near Jena


ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Authorities in 
Alexandria, Louisiana, arrested two people after 
nooses were seen hanging from the back of a red 
pickup Thursday night, the city's mayor told CNN.
art.noose2.irpt.jpg

A photograph taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love 
shows a noose hanging from a red pickup.

Alexandria is less than an hour away from Jena, 
Louisiana, and was a staging area Thursday for 
protesters who went to the smaller town to 
demonstrate against the treatment of six black 
teens known as the "Jena 6" in racially charged incidents.

Police say the 18-year-old driver of the truck 
was charged with driving while intoxicated and 
inciting to riot and also may be charged with 
contributing to the delinquency of a minor -- the 16-year-old passenger.

As police were questioning the driver, he said he 
had an unloaded rifle in the back, which police 
found. They also found a set of brass knuckles in 
the cup holder on the dashboard, according to the police report.

The passenger told police he and his family are 
in the Ku Klux Klan, the police report said. He 
also said he had tied the nooses and that the 
brass knuckles belonged to him, the report said. 
Video Watch what police found on the truck »

At least one of the nooses was made out of an 
extension cord, according to the police report.

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said those arrested 
were "from around Jena" and not in the same 
parish as his city. See where the incident occurred »
Don't Miss

     * Police report (PDF)
     * In Depth: The 'Jena 6'
     * Thousands 'march for justice' in Jena

The police report says a crowd of about 200 
people, mostly African-Americans, watched the arrest take place.

Roy said the incident is "not indicative" of 
Alexandria and that local authorities will look 
into the matter "completely, thoroughly and transparently."

A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by 
Casanova Love, 26, who said he's in the U.S. 
Navy. He's visiting his family in Louisiana.

Love said he was standing outside a club with 
some friends Thursday night when he saw the red 
pickup drive by slowly with two nooses hanging from it.

He said the truck continued up the street and 
passed by a large group of Jena 6 protesters 
standing outside a bus stop. Police then pulled over the vehicle.

Love explained why he sent the photo to CNN: 
"People need to see this. It's 2007, and we still 
have fools acting like it's 1960."

State police estimated at least 15,000 people 
gathered in Jena on Thursday to protest what they 
consider unequal punishments meted out in recent racially charged cases.
advertisement

One involved the hanging of nooses from a tree a 
day after black students sat under what had been 
an informal gathering place for white students. 
The students involved were suspended from school for a brief time.

Another was the beating of a white student that 
resulted in six black teens facing charges that 
include aggravated second-degree battery.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20070921/41f3db31/attachment.htm>