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Outrage in Milwaukee Over Acquittal by All-White Jury of
Police Officers Charged in Vicious Beating
Darfur Refugee and Top UN Envoy for Prevention of Genocide
Discuss Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan and Role of International
Community
Legendary Nigerian Writer Wole Soyinka: Darfur Crisis "A
Blot on the Conscience of the World"
Outrage in Milwaukee Over Acquittal by All-White
Jury of Police Officers Charged in Vicious Beating
Communities in Milwaukee are continuing to voice outrage
over an all-white jury's decision to acquit three white police
officers charged with brutally beating an African-American
man. We go to Milwaukee to speak with the victim's aunt and
his attorney about the stunning verdict. [includes rush
transcript]
Communities in Milwaukee are continuing to voice outrage
over an all-white jury's decision to acquit three white police
officers charged with brutally beating an African-American
man. Local religious leaders and activists are planning protests
against the stunning verdict, including a march this morning
and a fast later this week.
U.S. attorneys are now considering filing federal charges
against the officers and Milwaukee's Chief of Police has launched
an internal investigation.
The victim, Frank Jude, was nearly killed in October 2004
when he was beaten at a party by a group of off-duty police
officers, all of whom are white.
According to news accounts, they accused Jude of stealing
the wallet and badge of one of the officers. As many as 15
officers surrounded Jude and viciously beat him.
Jude was repeatedly punched and kicked in the head and body.
His fingers were pulled back, a knife was put to his neck
and anus, his pants were cut off and objects were jammed into
both ears. An emergency room doctor who treated Jude testified
he had the worst ear injuries she had seen in 15 years of
practice. The doctor also testified Jude had two fractures
to his sinus and nasal bone; an eye swollen shut; a grossly
swollen hand; marks on his neck consistent with choking; and
cuts and bruises over much of his face and body.
It took four months for criminal charges to be filed. District
Attorney Michael McCann blasted a "police code of silence"
that he said hampered the case. The three officers charged
-- Andrew Spengler, Daniel Masarik, and Jon Bartlett -- were
acquitted by an all-white jury last week.
After the trial, one of the jurors, Vaso Sasic told the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel he thought Jude may have suffered his injuries
by fighting the officers and getting thrown to the ground.
Sasic went on to say, "Our job was not to make perfect
a very imperfect investigation. We did our best. We can hold
our heads high."
Meanwhile, the Sentinel is reporting two of the acquitted
officers have a history of complaints against them. Jon Bartlett
has been accused of using excessive force against black men
on three other occasions, including a fatal shooting. Daniel
Masarik used a Taser stun gun on six people in an 11-week
period last year.
At a rally across from the county courthouse on Monday morning,
religious and community leaders blasted the not-guilty verdicts.
Father John Celichowski told the crowd "Did Jim Crow
die in the 60s or did he move to Milwaukee."
We go now to Milwaukee to speak with two guests:
- Jonathan Safran, Frank Jude's civil attorney. He attended
the trial and has been closely following the case.
Darfur Refugee and Top UN Envoy for Prevention of
Genocide Discuss Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan and Role of
International Community
We take a look at what the United Nations calls "one
of the world's worst humanitarian crises" - Sudan's Western
region of Darfur. We speak with Fatima Haroun, a Darfurian
refugee, and Juan Mendez, the United Nation's Special Adviser
on the Prevention of Genocide. [includes rush
transcript]
We turn now to what the UN calls "one of the world's
worst humanitarian crises" - Sudan's Western region of
Darfur. The African Union has set a deadline for the end of
this month for warring parties in the Darfur region to agree
on a new ceasefire. Since 2003, two rebel groups -- the Justice
and Equality Movement and the Sudanese Liberation Movement
-- have waged an armed struggle against the Sudanese government.
The rebels are fighting to end what has been described as
genocide against the mainly black inhabitants of Darfur. The
Sudanese government has responded by backing militias known
as the Janjaweed. At least 180,000 people have died in the
region and over 2 million people have been left homeless.
Earlier this month, the Sudanese government blocked the top
humanitarian official at the United Nations from visiting
the Darfur region. The official, Jan Egeland, accused Sudan
of trying to cover up for ethnic cleansing. He said the situation
is "changing dramatically for the worse."
Hopes for an African Union-brokered ceasefire remain grim.
The current talks mark the seventh round of negotiations between
Karthoum and the rebel groups in the last two years. Previous
ceasefires have repeatedly been broken. Meanwhile, the UN
Security Council remains divided on how to address the issue.
At the UN Monday, Russia and China blocked a measure backed
by the U.S. and Britain to sanction four individuals from
both sides of the conflict over alleged abuses. Russian and
Chinese officials said they wanted to await the results of
the ongoing peace talks. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said
the US would force a vote on the issue anyway.
- John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Here in this country, a growing movement is mobilizing to
put pressure on the Sudanese government and the companies
they do business with. Last week, the California State Teachers"
Retirement System Board voted to divest from any companies
with ties to Sudan. The board oversees the country's second
largest pension fund. The vote came just weeks after the University
of California regents approved a similar measure. Both decisions
followed concerted campaigns from California student activists.
To talk about the latest developments in Darfur and the response
in this country and around the world we speak with two guests:
- Juan Mendez, United Nation's Special Adviser on the Prevention
of Genocide. He has visited the Darfur region twice since
his appointment in July 2004. He is also President of the
International Center for
Transitional Justice.
- Fatima Haroun, a Darfurian refugee who has lectured widely
on the crisis. She is member of the Darfur
Rehabilitation Project and the Sudan Peace Advocates
Network.
Legendary Nigerian Writer Wole Soyinka: Darfur Crisis
"A Blot on the Conscience of the World"
Legendary Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka, the first African
to win a Nobel Prize in Literature, joins us to discuss the
ongoing crisis in Darfur, the struggle for justice against
oil companies in Nigeria and more. [includes rush transcript]
Today we are joined in our firehouse studio by legendary
Nigerian writer and political activist, Wole Soyinka. He is
the first African ever to win the Nobel Prize for Literature
and is considered by many to be Africa's most distinguished
playwright.
While fighting for African democracy and justice, Soyinka
has been repeatedly exiled from his homeland as well as threatened
with his life. At the age of 33, he was thrown in prison without
trial for appealing for a cease-fire during Nigeria's civil
war. He spent two years in solitary confinement. Upon his
release, Wole Soyinka became a courageous voice for human
rights, democracy and freedom. He has been an outspoken critic
of many Nigerian administrations, and of political tyrannies
worldwide. Much of his writing has been concerned with "the
oppressive boot and the irrelevance of the color of the foot
that wears it".
Wole Soyinka has written a new book titled "You Must
Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir." He joins us today in our
firehouse studio.
- Wole Soyinka, legendary Nigerian playwright. In 1986,
he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first
African ever to receive the award.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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