Drop the Racist Frame-up Charges Against Larry Hales NOW!

Sun Feb 24 22:48:12 EST 2008

*Drop the Racist Frame-up Charges Against Larry Hales NOW!*

**Sign Online Petition* 
<http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html>    **Read Article on 
Community Press Conference* 
<http://www.workers.org/2007/us/denver-1213/index.html>

<%20www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales>
*Shareef Aleem, Larry Hales and Melissa Kleinman at Dec. 3 news conference.
*
*O*n Nov. 30, 2007 African-American police brutality and anti-war 
activist Larry Hales was arrested after 10 cops illegally busted into 
his home without a warrant and without permission, physically attacked 
him and handcuffed his partner to a chair. He is facing frame-up charges 
of "interfering with the police" and faces extended jail time for being 
the victim of a police attack.

Hales has been a primary organizer of a number of anti-imperialist and 
anti-racist events in Denver. He is a leader of the youth group 
FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together; a founder of Colorado United 
Communities Against Police Brutality; and an organizer with the 
International Action Center and the Troops Out Now Coalition.

Hales is also a principal organizer in the Recreate 68 Committee, which 
is planning protests to counter the Democratic National Convention to be 
held in Denver in August.

At the time of the police attack, Hales and his partner Melissa Kleinman 
were housing a survivor of police brutality who was on parole. The man 
had been shot in the back by police and had filed a civil case against 
the Aurora police department. Hales had previously agreed to house 
visits by the man's parole officer, but only when the man was home.

However, when Hales told the police officers at his door on Nov. 30 that 
the parolee wasn't home, and asked to see the business cards that 
because of a city ordinance Denver police must carry and surrender upon 
request, he had badges stuck in his face and told that they didn't have 
to give him their cards. Hales told them that they didn't have 
permission to come in, that the parolee was not home and that he wanted 
their cards. One of them scoffed and pushed the door open and him out of 
the way.

The cops charged into his apartment and ransacked his house. When Hales 
expressed concern that his cats would escape, he was shoved. When he 
asserted his rights, the police told him to shut up and violently 
attacked him, twisting his arm, grabbing him by the back of the neck, 
ripping out several of his dreadlocks, throwing him against the wall, 
and tearing off his shirt. He was pushed down the stairs of his 
apartment building, against the wall and railings and out into the cold 
night with a half-ripped shirt, socks and thin sweat pants. One officer 
squeezed his cuffs and the two had an exchange, where the officer 
remarked that more could be done and that Hales could end up face down 
on the ground, then he was hit in the stomach and thrown into the car.

The officers rolled the front windows down, left Hales in the car, told 
him he looked like he might hurt himself and that he would be booked as 
a "John Doe" and have to spend 72 hours in jail before anyone could find 
him. He spent the night in a freezing jail cell.

Police brutality is rampant in Denver, and this attack is part of the 
ongoing attacks on Black youth, from the Jena 6 to Sean Bell and 
countless cases of police brutality and repression throughout the country.

In addition, the police violence against such a well-known activist can 
only be seen as part of a continuing attempt to stifle political 
dissent. At a press conference in the days following the attack, Denver 
police brutality activist and survivor Shareef Aleem noted that police 
were attempting to neutralize activists related to the DNC protests. He 
stated: "In the last couple of years many of us involved in police 
accountability work have been attacked by the police and we know that 
when it happens we all have to stand up."

Hales now faces a pretrial hearing on February 29 and trial on March 12 
on police "interference" charges. During the arraignment, the states' 
attorney suggested that more charges from the incident may be pending. 
For the City Attorney to continue to prosecute these charges would 
constitute a serious miscarriage of justice and state harassment, 
standing jutice on its head by blaming the victim of police misconduct 
and brutality. It could be seen as an illegal, politically motivated 
abuse of process to chill political protest both against police 
brutality and at the upcoming DNC.

We demand that ALL charges be dropped immediately against Larry Hales, 
and that there be an immediate investigation into the police misconduct 
and violation of Larry Hales' and Melissa Kleinman's rights.

*What you can do:*

    * Add your name to the petition
      <http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html> to drop the
      charges, available at
      http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html.
    * Contact City Attormey David R. Fine, Judge Larry Bohning and
      Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and tell them you want the charges
      against Larry Hales to be dropped.
        	City Attorney David R. Fine 	Judge Larry Bohning 	Mayor John
      Hickenlooper
      email: 	city.attorney at denvergov.org
      <mailto:city.attorney at denvergov.org>
      larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us
      <mailto:larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us>
      MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us <mailto:MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us>
      phone: 	(720) 865-8600 	(720) 865-8610 	(720) 865-9000
      fax: 	(720) 865-8796 	(720) 865-8250 	(720) 865-8787
      address: 	Office of the City Attorney
      1437 Bannock, St., Room 353
      Denver, CO 80202 	Judge Larry Bohning
      1437 Bannock Street
      Denver, CO 80202 	Mayor John W. Hickenlooper
      City and County Building
      1437 Bannock Street, Suite 350
      Denver, CO 80202

    * Fax letters on your organization or union's stationery or on your
      official letterhead, and send a copy to the National Justice for
      Larry Hales Committee at the address below. If possible, scan the
      letter and email it to justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
      <mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com>. We will post as many
      letters as possible on this site.
    * Solicit organizations and leaders in your community to do the same
    * Send posts to contacts and listservs with links to
      http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/ urging action
    * If you are in the Denver area, pack the courthouse on February 29
      and March 12. Come to courtroom 151P in the Denver County Court,
      1437 Bannock St, Denver, CO 80202
    * Donate <http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml>to the Justice for
      Larry Hales campaign, to help with legal defense and support
      campaign costs.  http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml . Checks
      should be written to Justice for Larry Hales/IAC, and sent to the
      address below.

*Sign the Online Petition 
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html>*
Send email to the Judge, the City Attorney and elected officials - 
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html.

*DONATE NOW <http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml>*
to help the Justice for Larry Hales campaign
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml

*Sign up for updates <http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml>*
from the Troops Out Now Coalition
http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml

*National Justice for Larry Hales Committee
c/o Solidarity Center*
55 W. 17th St. #5C
NY NY 10011
www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales <http://%20www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales>
justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com 
<mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com>
212.633-6646

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