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class="header"> <b><font size="-2"><a
href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/28/rev-pinkney-was-right-its-comin-to-your-city-next/"
id="reader-domain" class="domain"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/28/rev-pinkney-was-right-its-comin-to-your-city-next/">http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/28/rev-pinkney-was-right-its-comin-to-your-city-next/</a></a></font></b>
<h1 id="reader-title">Rev. Pinkney was Right: It’s Comin’ to
Your City Next!</h1>
<div id="reader-credits" class="credits">by <span
class="post_author" itemprop="author"><a
href="http://www.counterpunch.org/author/pollhugh0900/"
rel="nofollow">Polly Hughes</a>, April 28, 2016<br>
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<blockquote>
<p>Little bitty Benton Harbor was the testing ground. It
was the testing ground to see what they can get away
with….It’s comin’ to your city next, whether you like
it or not.</p>
<p><em>— </em><a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfWl3XNFeEc">Rev.
Edward Pinkney</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>What do Michigan emergency managers, water rights,
illegal corporate land acquisitions, and gentrification
have to do with political prisoner Rev. Edward Pinkney?
Rev. Pinkney has been fighting against injustice for
decades in the small town of Benton Harbor, Michigan.
But, his activism has reached far beyond Benton Harbor,
the first city in Michigan to fall under the control of
an <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBzkuiD6LD0">emergency
financial manager</a> (EFM) in 2010.</p>
<p>In July 2014, Pinkney led a defiant protest of
approximately 10,000 in Detroit and walked through the
city turning the water back on at residences. The
bankruptcy of Detroit had begun and the city had been
shutting off water to families who hadn’t paid their
water bills for even just one month. Everything that the
Emergency Financial Manager Law (Public Act 4), by order
of the governor’s office, was hitting Detroit with had
already occurred in Benton Harbor. <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4k4r7czxfk">Pinkney
knew</a> what was coming to Detroit and other cities
across the nation<strong>. </strong></p>
<p>While Pinkney skillfully organized with activists
against the debacle in Detroit, he also led the charge
against Whirlpool Corporation (headquartered in Benton
Harbor), decrying the loss of jobs outsourced by
Whirlpool and the illegal acquisition of public land by
Whirlpool front groups to build a 5-star golf resort and
multi-million-dollar condominiums that would serve as a
Lake Michigan playground for the wealthy elite. Benton
Harbor residents, of whom over 90% are Black and nearly
half live in poverty according to <a
href="http://census.gov/">official statistics</a>,
suffered gentrification via lost jobs, the closing of
locally owned stores replaced by artisan shops along the
lakefront, and a corrupt justice system that
incarcerated many poor, and particularly minority,
Benton Harbor residents for minor infractions. Pinkney
would not back down, would not be silent, would not stop
organizing support for people’s rights.</p>
<p>In October 2015, news broke that Flint’s municipal
water had poisoned unknown thousands and Gov. Snyder has
been at the forefront of the scandal ever since.
Normally, we would expect Pinkney to once again be
leading in organizing for the needs and rights of the
poor and marginalized. Instead Pinkney sits in Marquette
Branch Prison in the Upper Peninsula suffering abuse,
intimidation, and racism by correctional officers.</p>
<p>Pinkney’s been imprisoned before, once for <a
href="http://www.bhbanco.org/search?q=quoting+the+bible">quoting
the Bible</a>. He was also placed on probation after
being falsely accused of forging absentee ballots in the
recall of Benton Harbor city commissioner Glen Yarbrough
and convicted by an all-white jury. Roadblocks such as
these would have stopped the average activist, but
Pinkney has never stopped fighting for justice. So, what
led to his <a
href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/08/13/why-is-rev-edward-pinkney-in-prison-another-case-of-political-persecution/">current
incarceration</a>? Here’s a timeline of events:</p>
<p>November 2013: Pinkney and another petitioner turned in
almost twice the number of signatures required to hold a
recall election of James Hightower, token Whirlpool
mayor.</p>
<p>April 2014: A Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team
surrounded Pinkney’s home with orders to bring him in
dead or alive. He was charged with 5 felony counts of
changing dates on petitions.</p>
<p>Oct 2014: Found guilty by an all-white jury after
numerous witnesses supported Pinkney’s innocence with
testimonies against the prosecution. One juror perjured
herself, and the judge and prosecutor both instructed
the jury that it could convict Pinkney with no direct
evidence.</p>
<p>Dec 2014: Pinkney sentenced to 2.5-10 years and denied
release on bond pending appeal.</p>
<p>August 2015: Pinkney denied bond pending appeal in a
2-1 decision in state court of appeals.</p>
<p>Sept 2015: Appeal was filed by Pinkney Attorney
followed up by amicus briefs submitted by the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)-Michigan and the National
Lawyers Guild.</p>
<p>Oct 2015: Pinkney abruptly transferred to Marquette
Branch Prison, almost 500 miles from Benton Harbor,
where he endures racism, intimidation, and harassment
from corrections officers who have written false
misconduct tickets for minor infractions (recently,
Pinkney was written up for having a Bible on his bed and
for having too much legal material). His phone
privileges were revoked for six months and he was thrown
into solitary confinement for six days after a local
televised news report aired in Marquette.</p>
<p>Rev. Pinkney has been a thorn in the side of Whirlpool
Corp. and corrupt judicial and government officials from
both Berrien County and the state of Michigan for many
years. Now he awaits the outcome of his appeals hearing
at 10 a.m. on May 11 at the Appellate Court in Grand
Rapids. He will not be present, but supporters from
across the region are expected to attend and hold a
press conference afterward. His attorney and the ACLU of
Michigan will argue the <a
href="http://www.bhbanco.org/2016/04/questions-presented-in-brief-on-appeal.html">appeal</a>.
The National Lawyers Guild also submitted a friend of
the court brief.</p>
<p>Pinkney’s supporters have been vigilant in their
support of this case which has received attention around
the country, even internationally. But the corruption
runs deep from Berrien County to state officials.
Despite press conferences, requests for meetings, and
phone calls, Michigan Department of Corrections Director
Heidi Washington has <a
href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/11/the-routine-lies-of-prison-officials/">refused
to seriously address</a> the harassment and false
misconduct tickets at Marquette Branch Prison. Michigan
Governor Snyder has ignored requests to pardon Pinkney.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Snyder and others have poisoned the entire
city of Flint, but those most responsible for this
genocide remain in office. Flint is still reeling from
the devastating effects of lead-contaminated water on
residents, especially children, and is still fighting
for clean water, replacement of corroded pipes, care for
long-term health consequences, and for those responsible
to be held accountable. Detroit continues to fight
against water shutoffs, the state’s takeover of public
schools, the selling off of public property, and more.
Justice has not been delivered to any poor,
predominantly Black city in Michigan despite the
evidence, the press, and the attention from notable
celebrities: Michael Moore, Erin Brockovich, and <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEU5UK0ksA8">Rachel
Maddow</a> to name a few.</p>
<p>The attempts to isolate and silence Pinkney have been
severe: sentenced up to 10 years, phone rights revoked
without provocation, transported 500 miles away from
family and supporters, threatened by corrections
officers daily, unfounded charges of misconduct, denial
of proper medical care, tampering of mail from legal
counsel, and the <a
href="http://www.bhbanco.org/2016/04/marquette-prison-officer-basal-attacks.html">list
goes on</a>.</p>
<p>Why have such extreme measures been taken against
67-year-old husband, father, minister, and community
organizer Rev. Edward Pinkney? Because he is the
champion, the heart, the ace-in-the-hole for <a
href="http://peoplestribune.org/pt-news/2015/01/this-is-a-fight-for-us-all/">anyone
fighting for equality and justice</a> for poor and
disenfranchised Americans.</p>
<p>Rev. Edward Pinkney must be freed now because he is
innocent, because he is in danger, and because his
presence is sorely needed to help lead the fight for
justice for the people.</p>
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