The Arbery Trial: What A Difference Tape Makes.
The trial of three white men in Brunswick Georgia charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
The three asserted that they were justified in the killing because they felt threatened by the man who ran at them after they used their vehicles to block his escape from their deadly embrace. All three men were armed. Arbery was not. They used the defense often used by cops: fear of attack. But even the claim of citizens arrest fell before the predominately white jury. This jury had to essentially reject several invitations from defense counsel to demonize Arbery or to humiliate and demean him by reference to his dirty feet. They had to know that such appeals made to rural southerners are like catnips to cat but it didn’t work this time. Perhaps because of the wealth of camera footage which showed what happened, especially at important parts of the events.
The films of these events made the difference between acquittal and felony convictions. That’s not all. Without film none of these men would have ever been charged as the local DA and cops hoped. They didn’t just hope, they initially chalked it up to a burglary. And one DA told the killer to go home and to wash his hands. And then camera footage came out. If Arbery’s mother hadn’t fought for him, nothing would have happened.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
https://conta.cc/4ayDxlB](https://www.prisonradio.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)