[Imc-midwest-regional] Covering June 1-3 2001 Cincinnati events

[Stephen P Konieczka]

June 1 through  3 will be "three days of education and peaceful protest
to demand justice in Cincinnati from the police department and the city
government." (details below) 

This letter is to alert those unaware of the march to it; to inquire of
those at the Ohio Vallery IMC if and what type of support for covering
these events is being planed; and to begin to spead the word around the
network that the IMC must be visibly present in Cincinnati that weekend
(but you knew that).

So OHIO: what's the plan?  what do you need?  how can we help?  

Others: Spead the word locally and with your contacts around the network.
 

Lets get em!
Stephen Konieczka
Chicago IMC


CINCINNATI, OH - Legal, peaceful, integrated, mass march for Justice
called June 2

We are a coalition of organizations and individuals who are organizing
for three days of education and peaceful protest to demand justice in
Cincinnati from the police department and the city government.

We will organize a series of educational events and peaceful protests on
June 1- 3, with a mass, legal, peaceful march for justice on June 2 at
the
center of these events. We invite the residents of Cincinnati and
people from around the country to come to Cincinnati to protest the
killing of Timothy Thomas.

The March for Justice calls for:

*Stop police killings and the abuse of police power.
*End the police department's racist patterns and practices.
*Build social and economic justice.

We invite all who agree with the protest and the goals to joins in us
this effort. Organizations who join may send a member to join the
steering committee and participate in the decision making process of
the group.

Endorsing groups (as of May 4, 2001)

American Federation of Government Employees Local 3840 Executive
Committee
Concerned Citizens for Justice
Cincinnati Black United Front (unofficial as of 5/4)
Coalition for a Humane Economy (CHE)
Stand Up 4 Democracy
(Many other organizations are now taking the call to their respective
boards, and members.)

Activities proposed for the three days include a major educational
program and rally Friday. June 1, March and Rally June 2, and an
organizing conference June 3. Speakers, times, and sites to be announced.

To contact the March for Justice call 513/ 588-8883.

(Editor's note: This was released prior to May 7)

MARCH FOR JUSTICE
Dear Friends,
As you are well aware, the police killing of Timothy Thomas in
April, followed by several days of protest have made Cincinnati a focus
of national, and even international, attention.

Many African American, white, and immigrant organizations and
individuals, meeting over the last couple of weeks (a total involving
over
200 people from dozens of
different groups) have decided to call for a legal, peaceful, integrated,
mass march for Justice on June 2. The March will be the
center piece for three days of reflection, education, and peaceful
protest.

We believe that thousands of Cincinnatians of goodwill would like
an opportunity to express their rejection of the past practice of the
Cincinnati government and police, and their hope and desire for change
in this city and in our country.
We would like this event to be one that can attract faith-based
organizations, labor unions, community groups, and students and youth.
We expect to have contigents from all of those sectors of our society and
many more. We hope that this event
can be one where thousands of our citizens, adults, youth and children,
joined by supporters from around the country can march in peaceful
protest to express our concerns and our hopes.

We ask you to join us.

Please put the following call for the march before your organization and
ask them to endorse it, and send us a copy of your
endorsement with the name of your organization, a contact person with
phone number, e-mail and street address. Please also indicate
that you give us permission to use your name. We look forward to walking
with you toward a new Cincinnati. See the phone number at
the bottom of the
call to leave a message requesting more information.

Please circulate the following call widely.

In solidarity,
Dan La Botz
(513) 861-8722
DanLaBotz at cs.com