In response to the reckless attack on the Newark AntiViolence Coalition (NAVC) on November 24th by the Irvington Police Department, the New Black Panther Party will issue the following demands on Irvington City Council on Tuesday, December 14^th.

The first demand is that all charges levied against those who were arrested should be dropped immediately in the interests of justice.

Six activists were bogusly arrested, including local Panther Sharif Amenhotep, who has been a consistent driving force for the NAVC. While most had their charges reduced to misdemeanors, one female activist, who was snatched from her young nephew, punched in the face by an officer and then maced, is facing more serious charges.

The second demand is that Mayor Smith and City Council convene a Town Hall Meeting on the incident in question and on the need to declare street violence a public health emergency.

“Why can’t Irvington turn this nightmare into something positive? Why can’t Irvington give serious consideration to doing what Newark has not been willing to do? Who loses in an equation like that,” asked Zayid Muhammad angrily for the Party.

“Nobody! It’s a win-win on all sides,” he finished.

The third demand is that the incident in question be independently investigated, probably best done by the Justice Department, and that local law enforcement leadership be seriously disciplined over what happened.

 “If Chief Chase did this to some young white activists, that community would have had his head. The lives and safety and commitment of our young people deserve the same consideration,” Muhammad finished.

The final demand is that Irvington Township immediately empanel its civilian review board, Irvington is one of the few municipalities around to actually create a civilian review board, something stewarded by Mayor Smith when he was Council President, but it has never been empanelled to actually hear and investigate cases.

The Irvington chapter of the NAACP, represented most ably by Kathleen Witcher, has a similar set of demands, and was on eyewitness to the reckless police attack. Ms. Witcher is expected to share those demands and her own observations of the incident in question.

Zayid Muhammad, the Party’s national minister of culture, will present the Party’s demands.

Muhammad rallied the remaining NAVC forces and marched them to the police precinct to demand the arrestees release.

In 2007, Muhammad, a former resident of Myrtle Avenue, was shot at point blank range by an unknown assailant only days after leading a citywide march against street violence in Newark.

Bashir Akinyele, who negotiated the permit for the November 24^th rally, will represent the NAVC.

The municipal council meeting begins its proceedings at 7pm at 1 Civic Square. The community is allowed to address their concerns to council members after council business is conducted.

For more information on the Party, please call 973 714 9638. For information on the NAVC, please call 908 956 3523…

December 12, 2010

THE NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY

NATIONAL MINISTRY OF CULTURE

PO BOX 25332, NEWARK, NJ 07101

BABAZAYID@YAHOO.COM

973 714 9638