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<font size=3><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><b>For Immediate
Release<br>
</b>December 4,
2009
<br>
Contact: Helia Rasti 650.520.4363<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=6><b>Oakland</font>
Community Demands Accountability<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5>Court Support Continues for
People Arrested Demonstrating Against Oscar Grant’s Murder<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3> <br>
</b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2 color="#000080"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><b>What: Community
support for people facing felonies from Oscar Grant protests<br>
When: December 7th & December 14th, 2009, 8 A.M.<br>
Where: Alameda County Superior Court, 1225 Fallon St, Court Room 11<br>
Who: Plan for a Safer Oakland<br>
</b> <br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2 color="#000080"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>Oakland, CA – Nearly
one year after the murder of Oscar Grant III by BART police, Oakland
community members and organizations continue their support for three
people with remaining felony charges stemming from arrests during the
Oscar Grant protests in January. <b>Supporters will gather outside the
court house at 8:00 am on December 7 and December 14th, where JR Valrey
and Holly Noll are still facing felony charges for their participation in
last winter’s demonstrations against Grant’s murder</b>. <br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2 color="#000080"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>“Dropping charges
against the protesters is part of widespread community efforts to keep
pressure and attention on a range of demands around law enforcement in
Oakland,” said Manuel La Fontaine, a member of <b>Plan for a Safer
Oakland, which is a coalition of community members and organizations
demanding amnesty for all people arrested during the Oscar Grant
demonstrations. </b>“Police violence against people of color,
particularly young people of color, is a direct result of the
criminalization of our communities. We must express our anger and
organize for just, healthy, and sustainable communities that don't rely
on policing.” <br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2 color="#000080"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>“The police have no
evidence against me. This is clearly a political case,” says JR
Valrey, an independent journalist who was arrested while covering the
street protest last January 7<sup>th</sup>. The Oakland Police
Department has refused to release JR’s camera, which they confiscated as
evidence during his arrest. “My real crime in the eyes of the government
was covering the people of Oakland's outrage to the police murder of
Oscar Grant and lack of city government's response.”<br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2 color="#000080"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><b>Plan for a Safer
Oakland is focused around a three point plan, which demands re-entry
support and services for people returning from prison; investment in
people, not prisons or police; and support for Oakland youth who continue
to be targeted and criminalized by the police. </b></font>More
information about Plan for a Safer Oakland can be found at
<a href="http://www.criticalresistance.org/">
www.criticalresistance.org</a>.<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3 color="#000080"><b> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><i>Visuals will be
available for photo opportunities, including colorful signs and banners.
<br><br>
<br>
</i></b></font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#0000FF">
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.Freedomarchives.org</a></font><font size=3> </font></body>
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