Christina Arechiga, seen in the short video below (cousin of Ernest Duenez Jr), and six other peaceful protesters – plus their lawyer – were arrested as punishment for peacefully protesting police terror on February 13th. At the event the Justice 4 Alan Blueford Coalition, family members of many killed by police violence, and friends were asking for a meeting with California Attorney General Kamala Harris, demanding that she do her job and prosecute killer cops!
Having exhausted all the polite avenues trying to have a meeting with Harris to demand that she do her job, participants resorted to occupying the lobby of the State building in Oakland where the Attorney General has an office… Instead of being granted a meeting, they were arrested, carted off to jail in paddywagons and then, while inside Santa Rita jail, some of were physically assaulted & sexually intimidated. It was made explicitly clear MANY TIMES by officers and guards that they were “”being treated badly BECAUSE we were protesting police terror.”
Of note, the 8th person arrested was a lawyer who was acting as legal observer for this action to make sure no one’s rights were violated during the arrest process. The legal observer was told–ON CAMERA–by the CHP officer in charge–that she would be able to remain in the building after the final dispersal order was given and she was expressly told that she would NOT be subjected to arrest…..and then Anne Weills was the last person arrested on Feb 13th during the action.
In a recent development the District Attorney informed the Harris Eight that none of them were to be charged.
CA AG KAMALA HARRIS’ JOB DESCRIPTION FROM THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION:
SEC. 13. Subject to the powers and duties of the Governor,
the Attorney General shall be the chief law officer of the State. It
shall be the duty of the Attorney General to see that the laws of the
State are uniformly and adequately enforced.
The Attorney General shall have direct supervision over every district
attorney and sheriff and over such other law enforcement officers as may be
designated by law, in all matters pertaining to the duties of their
respective offices, and may require any of said officers to make
reports concerning the investigation, detection, prosecution, and
punishment of crime in their respective jurisdictions as to the
Attorney General may seem advisable.
Whenever in the opinion of the Attorney General any law of the State is
not being adequately enforced in any county, it shall be the duty of the Attorney
General to prosecute any violations of law of which the superior court shall
have jurisdiction, and in such cases the Attorney General shall have
all the powers of a district attorney. When required by the public
interest or directed by the Governor, the Attorney General shall
assist any district attorney in the discharge of the duties of that
office.
JOIN THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END POLICE TERROR:
End Police Terror Facebook.
AND going live soon a website: End Police Terror
The Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice is a center dedicated to fighting police terror in Alan’s name, it is located at 2434 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA 94612.
Facebook. Email: www.abc4justice@gmail.com.
Outside looking in. Solidarity with the arrestees.
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