Dr. Cornel West arrested at Supreme Court in Washington DC

[kpete]

Source: Daily Kos

Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 03:44 PM PDT
Dr. Cornel West arrested at Supreme Court in Washington DC

by mimiFollow


At 2 pm today Dr. Cornel West appeared at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC and gave a spicy, fun and great agitating speech full of love, wit and wisdom. I would say there were around 250 - 300 people in the audience. After the speech he decided spontaneously to march to the Supreme Court. This march was not planned, at least most of the audience had no idea that this would happen.

In the speech he already jokingly said he has come today to Freedom Plaza and to Washington DC, because he finally wanted to get arrested in DC to make the sacrifice Martin Luther King was expecting from him in the fight for justice and freedom.

Before his speech they announced there would be a discussion group about racism and faith in one of the tents, after the speech one of the organizers said that Dr. West had decided to march to the Supreme Court in Washington DC to hold up a political sign on the front stairs of the court.

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/16/1027099/-Dr-Cornel-West-arrested-at-Supreme-Court-in-Washington-DC?via=siderec

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/16/cornel-west-supreme-court-arrest_n_1014540.html
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/activist-west-arrested-supreme-court-protest-14749504
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNH4wphca0&feature=player_embedded
http://october2011.org/blogs/margaret-flowers/dr-cornel-west-and-14-others-arrested-protesting-corporate-power-us-supreme-c



The movement released a pressed release concerning the arrest:

It is rumored that he will be held overnight in jail, as the courts are worried that he will not show up in the morning. Seems a little crazy to us, but that is what we are hearing.

The October2011.org Movement that is occupying Freedom Plaza, led an impromptu march of 250 people up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S.Supreme Court where Dr. Cornel West climbed on the steps of the Supreme Court and denounced court decisions that have produced money-based elections that empower corporations. Dr. West was holding a sign that said “Poverty is the Greatest Violence of All.” He was arrested because holding political signs on the Supreme Court steps is illegal.

Dr. West spoke to more than 500 people on Freedom Plaza where he said that “if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, he would be on Freedom Plaza.” West described how the struggle against, poverty, war and injustice continues and confidence that the people will succeed. He applauded the occupation as “an inclusive social revolution for all of us” and a “leaderless-leader-filled movement” where people are “finding their own political voices rather than echoing others.”

Kevin Zeese, an organizer of October2011.org said: “It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for Dr. West and the others to risk arrest protesting the unfair wealth divide and the Supreme Court empowering money over voters. In the battle for a real, participatory democracy getting money out of politics is a critical step.”

October2011.org seeks to end corporate rule and shift power to the people. The occupation of Freedom Plaza began on October 6th, the beginning of the 11th year of the Afghanistan War and a new federal fiscal year that promises austerity for everything except militarism and war. Among those arrested with Dr. West were Tarak Kauff of Veterans for Peace, Ellen Davidson of the Indypendent newspaper, filmmaker Dennis Trainor, Jr. and Maria Allwine an independent political activist. The movement towards economic justice continues…


Read more: http://www.askkissy.com/2011/10/16/dr-cornell-west-arrested/#ixzz1b0G8HALl