In the wake of the controversy surrounding last Tuesday’s release of The BCI (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation) report by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on the Police chase and shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, an unarmed Black couple, last November by 13 Cleveland Police Officers (12 white 1 Hispanic), a group calling itself .Com Ministry held a rally in support of Police Officers at 2nd District Head Courters on Fulton Road. The all white crowd of about 50 people held signs, made prayers, and gave loud applauses to words of support said on a bullhorn used for the event. Called by Pastor Angel Arroyo, the event was but one more reaction to the chase and shooting which reflected the racial polarization of Cleveland’s majority Black population.
The white population of Cleveland (37 per cent), as is true of white Americans in general, leans in cases such as this towards the support of the racist enemies and murderers of our people, especially in those cases involving the Police. Sunday’s demonstration was no different. Most of the comments made to news coverage of this incident by whites have stereotyped Timothy and Malissa as “criminals” who “got what they deserved.” Focus is made on the allegation they were found to have drugs in their system and failed to stop when police attempted to pull them over. This is in addition to the focus placed on their “criminal records.” This is the irreversible manner that white people think of our people. It is wicked and racist to the core on the part of whites to create a system of racial control which seeks to criminalize our people and victimize us to drug abuse and then use these very conditions, which they (whites) themselves created, as justification for their continued racist and even murderous behavior towards us.
Our Brother Clarence X, who has been vocal in his call for true and lasting justice in this case, was on scene to “observe and report” on Sunday’s events representing Muhammad’s Temple # 15’s publication “The Salaam News Paper.” With camera in tow, Bro. Clarence took video footage of and provided commentary on the event. Speaking to his female interviewer, he boldly and accurately pointed out the clear and undeniably racist nature of the rally.
After wrapping up coverage of the event and preparing to return home for the evening, Bro. Clarence was approached by a 19 action news television reporter and camera person who literally ran across the street where they had been covering the rally, taking video and statements from the rally participants, to catch up to the brother before he left. Upon reaching Bro. Clarence, the female reporter asked him what his take was on the rally, mentioning that “one thing she found strange was there was no mention by the participants of the victims’ families.” When asked by the reporter “what did he see,” Bro. Clarence responded that what he saw was “hate and the support of hate.” Then she proceeded to ask the brother “what did he expect to see” and he firmly responded that all he “expected to see was hate and the support of hate.” The reporter then asked whether Bro. Clarence would be willing to make those statements on camera and our brother answered in the affirmative. The reporter then had the camera person begin taking video as she again questioned Bro. Clarence on his view of the day’s event. Answering the same again on camera, our brother boldly stated again what he had previously said off camera. After wrapping up her footage of Brother Clarence, the two both left the rally and our Brother returned home to prepare the footage from the event for the report to be provided by The Salaam News Paper. Stay tuned for more of our coverage of this ongoing case. WE MUST TELL OUR OWN STORY!
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MUHAMMAD'S TEMPLE 15 