NYPD Arrests 216 Protesters

^{More About: The Sean Bell Shooting | Al Sharpton}

Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images.

Under ordinary circumstances, the large-scale arrest of protesters is a bad thing--but the Rev. Al Sharpton and the family of Sean Bell, a man killed by three plainclothes NYPD officers the night before his wedding in November 2006, have definitely gotten the attention of the national press and the people of New York. Turnout numbered in the thousands. Civil disobedience arrests numbered in the hundreds. It was a successful nonviolent direct action in the tradition of Gandhi and King.

If this still sounds strange to you, let's look a little bit at the context of all this. Two weeks ago, a judge in a bench (non-jury) trial found the three officers who shot Sean Bell and his two friends not guilty on all charges, including the minor charge of reckless endangerment. The U.S. Department of Justice can file federal civil rights charges against the officers, but may or may not do so. What activists must do, right now, is persuade the Department of Justice to do so.

Since the Department of Justice is part of the executive branch, a political entity, this means that protesters need media coverage--and lots of it. And when planning yesterday's event, New York protesters figured out a way to get that coverage. Instructions can be found on the Sean Bell family web site:

Volunteers for arrest must be over 18 years of age; not have any type of open warrant or owe parking tickets or other fees to the City; submit emergency contact information, bring state or federal issued ID, and provide name, address, contact information and birth date to the organizing team to secure your fast release from jail and follow the instructions of National Action Network Team Contact and Legal Support.

• This is a peaceful protest which will be a violation and NOT A CRIME!

• You may spend anywhere between 4 – 24 hours in jail, depending on the precinct and volunteer turnout. Otherwise please come and support at any of the above six sites and be there by 3pm.

THIS IS A NON-VIOLENT EFFORT. IT IS AN ORGANIZED COLLECTIVE STATEMENT AGAINST AN UNJUST, INHUMANE, AND RACIST JUDGMENT! IT IS A POLITICAL STATEMENT. IT IS NOT A CONFRONTATION WITH THE POLICE.

And it wasn't. The entire protest went off without a hitch. The Bell family is planning a series of additional actions, culminating in a general strike that will, in Rev. Sharpton's words, "shut down the city" for a day. Other actions are also in progress. Governor David Paterson (D-NY) has agreed to meet with Sharpton and the Bell family this afternoon to discuss the case. The NYPD's internal investigation is still ongoing. Whatever happens, we can be sure that the story of the Sean Bell shooting will not quietly end with the acquittal of the officers who killed him.

See also:

• They Thought They Heard Somebody Say "Gun," So They Fired 50 Bullets