Rev. Al Sharpton and Nicole Paultre Bell (fiance of Sean Bell) were among approximately 200 people who were arrested Wednesday as demonstrators blocked traffic during New York’s evening rush hour to protest the acquittals of three detectives in the 50-bullet shooting of unarmed Bell on his wedding day.
Also arrested were Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield – two survivors from the shooting incident. CNN reported:
Police estimated that about 190 people were arrested, including Sharpton, two survivors of the shooting and the slain man’s fiancee. They lined up and put their hands behind their backs as police arrested them on disorderly conduct charges.
Sharpton, the two survivors and the fiancee were released about four hours later, said Sharpton spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger.
The demonstrators prayed, sang and chanted slogans including “no justice, no peace” as they converged on six heavily used bridges and tunnels that carry traffic to and from Manhattan. The protests were part of a coordinated campaign to urge federal authorities to investigate the shooting of Sean Bell in November 2006.
It is really sad that it had to come to this! The verdict was unfair! I hope that justice is going to be served once and for all!
woooooooooowwww
Wow is the word for this. It’s like we’re back in the 60′s marching for justice and an unjust world. I hope this family truly gets justice and that those cops get retried and convicted. In the end, those cops will receive just what they deserve regardless.
Meant to say “in an unjust world” my mistake.
I just read the article and I don’t see nothing wrong that they did. I really pray that they get justice.
Wow I love to see my people come together in numbers like this! Blocking the bridges and tunnels in NYC is very strategic to make a huge point because NYC depend on those water crossings more than anything. They constantly use the justic system against black because they are scared of us when we are in numbers. We are so powerful.
GREAT!! GOOD FOR THEM…ITS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE PEOPLE STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN!! POWER TO THEM AND HOPE THEY KEEP IT UP…ONE PROTEST IS NOT ENOUGH
I support this 10000000%!!!
NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!!!!
Do your thing Mrs. Bell, because I would be doing the same
IT IS SAD TO SEE IN THIS DAY AND AGE THAT THIS IS WHAT IT HAS TO COME TO IN ORDER TO BE HEARD OR RESPECTED. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS. WEREN’T TWO OF THE COPS AFRICAN AMERICANS? I FEEL AS THOUGH IT IS A MOCKERY OF EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE IN AS A PEOPLE. SAD SAD SAD!!!
If you have the money to bail yourself out then really protest. Shoo, I cant wait to be rich. Fight the system!!!!
**** Really!!!**** After all that we as a race have been thru it is sad to see it continue. In the beginning I did not make this abou race but as time goes by and new evidence comes up I have no choice but to say that these incidents were racially motivated. RIP SEAN BELL….I hope justice is served where it is due…they can escape man but not Jesus Christ!
**** Really!!!**** After all that we as a race have been thru it is sad to see it continue. In the beginning I did not make this abou race but as time goes by and new evidence comes up I have no choice but to say that these incidents were racially motivated. RIP SEAN BELL….I hope justice is served where it is due…they can escape man but not Jesus Christ! Racism is alive and well!
Let us Pray that The LAWYERS get it Together for the UpComing CIVIL SUIT!! Clean up Guzman and Benefield- Put Them in Three Piece Suits and TEACH them How to Articulate themselves in a RESPECTFUL and Professional Manner!!! Hello?? There is NO WAY they should have been allowed to walk in or Out of that Court Room with Loose Ties- Fitted hats and HOOD Dialect!! Come on People TIMES have not Changed-much-BUT WE MUST get it together IF we WANT to PREVAIL this time around! LETS not give them an ADvantage- or the Opportunity to SHUT US DOWN! The VERDICT was Awful and WRONG- HOWEVER Lets make sure We Cross every T and dot every I, – Their Lawyers Should Actually Be FIRED for Not preparing them for the Stand- That was just DUMB- Its the Police VS. US- History has proved that the Odds are not in Our Favor- We HAVE to Come Correct!!
I agree, they can escape man but not the creator
history is repeating it self
This is so sad but I’m happy that my people stand for what they believe in. I will keep the bell family in my prayers…
If they keep this up they might actually get the federal authorities to investigate they just gotta stay with it. R.I.P. Sean Bell what happen to you was wrong and you will not be forgotten. black people lets stand together and demand change now!!
how can we trust the justice when something like dat happen?usa is a weird country i mean for real,it’s just the beginning of the end,SO MUCH corruption,lie,propaganda,this wholeee shit just makes me wanna listen to tupac shakur songs changes!
in france we say:la justice n’est pas juste(the justice aint fair),and i guess we rite
this is getting ridiculous…If getting arrested means getting justice for somebody who was done wrong both just before and after death, then arrest away. Keep your heads up Rev. Sharpton and Nicole. You got my support
No Justice=No Peace!!!
Say what you will about Rev Al but he is the only person you can call on in your most trying times, and he’ll fight ‘til the bitter end. But my belief is if the peaceful demonstration will not make the justice department re-open this case and give Bell’s family a fair judgment, then I believe black people should riot. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Riots are the voices of the unheard and for too long, black people’s cries have been falling on the deaf ears of this society
i agree with everybody else,this is sad that years and years later,we’re once again fighting for the same issues…..this is fucking ridiculous.im still mad about this.
My question is why were they arrested? We have had several large marches here in Chicago (most recently immigration protests) where thousands of people have marched and blocked streets and no one was arrested. What is the law inf NYC?
Anyway, it is really sad that in this day and age we still have to march for things like this. There was no justice in the verdict of that young man and his friends. To that judge and NYC he life wasn’t worth anything.
Tianna did you hear or see the video about the police beatdown of three suspects in PA.
it was all caught on camera.
You can stand in the middle of the street. I think Al knows that. You can stand on
the sidwalk all day long but they stood in the street to provoke the police. What did
the people driving and going to work do to Sean Bll? Nothing. So why include them.
As for the law goes. It is what it is. The trial was fair, and if a whole lot of people
were smarter they would chose a judge instead of a jury. This is OJ in reverse. We
cant get mad. If Al sharpton really wanted justice to be he would have spent some
of his money to find some of the people who were at that club. He would have
found the stripper who was part to all the fighting before hand. I pray for those girls
who no longer have a father. But as a soldier I understand the desision make on be
half of the court and the police officer. What they need to be doing is going back
to their own neigborhood, do the same kind of protest, but do it on a drug corner.
Do it were the hoes at. Do it where the kids that are suppose to be in school at.
But they want, no glory in that. Then we would have to admit that all crime no
matter what is bad.
Thank you Rev. Al for being a consistent leader fighting injustice. If i was in Ny yesterday, I would have been in jail with them, instead I am in another state and prayed for them at bible study last night. No Justice! No Peace! Jesus appointed us for good deeds.
Im sorry but theres something about Mr. Al that doesn’t sit right with me– he’s a good dude or w/e but when I look at him…I dunno–anyways–i heard of this on the news yesterday and was wondering when yall were going to post about it..history certainly is repeating itself…its kind of scary…
I’m glad that the protesters did this! No matter how you try to justify Sean Bell’s murder the policemen where WRONG!! This story is more important than whoever celebrity doing whatever, or going wherever and it’s fustrating that none of the news media are giving this issue the coverage it rightfully deserves. Everyone wants squeeze every ounce of the Rev. Wright vs. Obama story.
For a while I thought that Rev. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were leaders that just went wherever the camera was…but since the Jena 6 situation I’ve realized that I’d rather have them help fight the cause with us, and train our up and coming leaders, and our community in general about strength, endurance, courage, humility. This is another example of why the fight against racism is far from over. No matter my personal feelings towards the Revs., I will support and continue to support them and my community proudly.
Its just very fustrating that when you try to live your life right, and be mindful of the law, and in return you expect the same civil liberties as our fellow countrymen, while injustices against our communities like this happens regularly. It’s hard, but we’ve got to keep, keepin on’. Stay strong!
At 21 and 23.
You have to have a permit for a march. You can t just go out and start holding up
traffic. When I was young and dumb I went to a Al Sharp march and so I know he
knows the drill. @ 23 what was also caught on camera is the these suspects gave
chase and shot someone, but you right the cops beat them down. And I dont agree
with this but to vaildate Al Sharpton, that the Sean Bell shooting was unjust, He
better have his self down there defending their rights too. Oh yeah 21 he wanted to
get arrested that was the point.
……..my husband and i were in that protest yesterday, the arrests made no sense.
………this is far from over…..we won’t stop!!!
Unlike The Civil Rights era, protests no longer work. Something more has to be done.
To JA
I just wanted to say that this situation affects all of us directly or indirectly at some point. There were witnesses from the club that testified but the judge took into consideration that they had prior records to this case. (unfairly I may add). Since when does someone’s testimony less credible just becuase they have been arrested before.
It is my opinion that they protested during rush hour to get other people’s attention. I agree with you that we should stand on our own corners and protest drug dealers, prostituion, etc. However, does that mean that we should ignore injustices outside our own community? If paid less attention to what’s going on outsides of our community (neighborhoods), and it becomes less safe to travel outside of them then what have we accomplished?
Just becuase this is ” OJ in reverse” doesn’t make it acceptable or simply put RIGHT!…we can get mad and should be! The white community is still bitter about OJ’s acquittal (just look at the way they talk about him) but are we supposed to accepts Sean Bell’s murder as “evening the playing field” or payback? May I remind you OJ was aquitted on a technicality and the police officer got were aquitted mainly in part because the judge didn’t want to be the one to convict three police officers, and in part because the other victims had a prior record. And in any event these two cases are totally unrelated!
Even though they got arrested, I’m more than proud of what they did and the peaceful statement they made. Good for them. You guys can get as technical as you want but this made a statement and that’s what they wanted to do … Someone HAS to do something now, or I’m pretty sure you won’t be hearing the last of this.
WAT THE HELL!!!!! ALL THIS FIGHTING IS NOT CALL FOR WAT IS THIS GONNA DO NOTHING…..THEY THNKIN WE ALL CRAZY .IM SICK OF Rev. Al Sharpton CUZ WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENZ TO A BLACK PERSON IN THE BLACK COMMNUITY HE GOTTA BE ALL UP IN TAKEN IT OVERBOARD N SHIT IF U GONNA GET ARRESTED TRYING TO GET JUSTICES SOMTHINGZ WORNG!!…….
iam reminded of the church song way back in the day named ; I WILL TRUST IN THE LORD. and at the end it says: “i’am going to stay on the battlefield until i die”. its that time warp that this nation can’t seem to shake well at least the old guard, so black folks must continue to soldier on. to all you al sharpton and jessie jackson nay sayer’s if it wasn’t for these 2 foot soldiers them folks would probably have us back chop’n cotton. so yes you frats of the Q’ nature hold your hooks, barking and howling please till after the nov elections, and tell THE REV. WRIGHT AND HIS HOOKS to catch that rock’n chair in that new home is church folks gave him and rest your nerves. when i think about all you frats that went to college and pledged to them frat org. i can relate to the samuel l. jackson character role that he played in the movie school daze. when they were in the k.f.c. restraunt and he hollered over to them ; Q……..Q………Q…UE’S OH Q’S ; THEN OUTSIDE PROCEEDED to tell them how they have come into the college town think’n you’re all that ; think’n you can have all the girls in town think’n you’re so much . he then told them to get your educated asses on ” FOR I BUST A CAP IN YOUR ASS . hilarious it was my best pat of the movie . he told them high pollut’n frat boys to step. COMEDY . so yes please rein in the dog pound , cause as far as setting examples for being model citizens, well lets just say we all fall short. from daddy-longstroke can you dig it.
JA,
I disagree with your young and dumb statement. I doubt you were young and dumb when you helped protest before, you were actually very smart in my eyes. Point is NYC would not have granted the permit to march or would have given them the run around and say these things take time. The fact that they blocked the major networks for NYC didn’t have anything to do with the drivers yes I know, but it showed a weakness of NYC. They stood in the street to show how easily they can shut NYC down. Same thing that basically happened with the Transit strike. NYC can say what they want but during that strike they were in turmoil because they virtually shut down. Anyways I think it was a great idea because if they would’ve marched on 125th street, I bet NYC would not have cared as much. The fact that they marched close to Wall street, close to areas where stars live made a statement. On top of that “it is what it is” statement is one I’d like you to use if it were your son that got shot up like with no weapon, or knife, or anything like that. Officers are suppose to protect and serve…who did they protect: their pride? who did they serve: the strippers in the club?
Really? I do not see how inconveniencing every day people who are trying to get to/from work helps this cause. Further, Sean Bell was not a saint. The guy had been arrested twice for drugs and once for gun possession, was a known crack dealer who was out til 6 am the moring of his wedding, and rather than stop and put his hands up when the cops said to, he chose to drive his car at them. If you want to pick a martyr, look elsewhere. Cops get shot in this city all the time, and it never gets this kind of attention. As far as this being a race issue, don’t even go there. This guy isnt Diallo — who was wrongly shot down — this was a guy who lived on the lwrong side of the law and eventually it caught up with him.
Live in NY and did not feel any kind of wave/halt in traffic. Everything ran smoothly b/c the cops knew.
Sorry this is a sad situation. I would NEVER want this to happen to any (black, brown, yellow, even white).
The cops will not get in trouble b/c they need to be able to do their job. Even if it is a fucked up job.
In this day and age, what will a march accomplish? Why not appeal? My sympathy goes out to families on all sides. People should not be so quick to judge because for one, none of us were there to know what really happened. Only what the media says and we all know that information gets twisted as its filtered down from one person to the next. My heart goes out too to all the cops that put their lives on the line each and every day. Its tough for them as well. They are not all bad people. Who knows were the world would be if we didn’t have law enforcement to keep the peace.
it’s so sad that what happenned to sean bell is so common and the outcome of the trial just as common. que “black cop” by KRS1
Al Sharpton is a crook. He has his own agenda in this entire mess. Bet he has secured a few dollars behing the Bell case. That is how he works. Takes a tragic situation in the Black community and finds a way to profit. Remember Tawana Braley. I work in advertising and he would “stick up” agency to get money for his causes.
A THIEF!!
Wow!!!.
Unfortunately with an ACQUITTAL there is no RETRIAL. Nicole also mentioned that filing a civil case was the last resort, which is good considering Justice would not be served.
Similar to the Jena Six situation they should organize somehting Nationally.
My people if we don’t stand for something The Government will continue to tell us ANYTHING – — you know what I mean.
The Government = TODAY and FOREVER the “REAL MAFIA”
DOC you sound like one of the police officers. So should I say that all of the officers who killed him deserve to die. Nobody said that he was a saint but he didn’t deserve to die. How do you know he was out selling drugs the morning of his wedding because last I checked he was there for his bachelor party and the undercovers were there for someone else not them last I checked. Officers are taught to shoot to disarm first. Shoot to kill if needed. Those 50 shots could’ve been used to take out the tires on the vehicle. They said out of their mouths that they shot him because they thought he had a gun and never found one. Just like those officers went to court, he could’ve went to court to be judged and sentenced for whatever. He didn’t deserve to die by no means. Sad to say there will be havoc in nyc and anywhere there’s police brutality. People are scared. NYPD ran through my grandmother’s house before calling themselves “raiding the house” all to find out that it was the wrong house. Destroyed her whole house from first to 3rd floor and reimbursed nothing.
Enlighten me on Tawana Braley ?
But yeah, hopefully Sharpton is sincere, but we all know he has an Agenda.
Where are the REVOLUTIONARIES of OUR DAY
FUCK REV.SHARPTON
THE END.]
@ JA SHUT THA FUCK UP
\
Really? I do not see how inconveniencing every day people who are trying to get to/from work helps this cause. Further, Sean Bell was not a saint. The guy had been arrested twice for drugs and once for gun possession, was a known crack dealer who was out til 6 am the moring of his wedding, and rather than stop and put his hands up when the cops said to, he chose to drive his car at them. If you want to pick a martyr, look elsewhere. Cops get shot in this city all the time, and it never gets this kind of attention. As far as this being a race issue, don’t even go there. This guy isnt Diallo — who was wrongly shot down — this was a guy who lived on the lwrong side of the law and eventually it caught up with him.
man you`re absolutely right but you know how black people are, they are always the victims of imaginary stuff, look at the 3 black men who were involeved in a shooting in philadelphia and who got beaten by the cops, their sorry-ass mothers are crying injustice but nobody is talking about the people who got shot and why they should even shoot people in the first place, i dont know even know why white law enforcement officials in this country keep beating around the bush, the solution is clear; ask the state and federal officials for more funds to build new prisons, the majority of black parents in this country are a total failure….sean bell, did he deserve to die? i dont think so but when cops say stop you need to stop , period ! who did he think he was a superhero or something? he had felonies and all, but guess what? motherfuckers are blocking the street because he`s dead, aint that something? so now what do hardworking-law-abiding-tax paying people have to do with that? if i get to work late because a former drug dealer got killed and they`re marching, i get chastised by my boss, do i deserve that?
the more they keep up with this good for nothing marches, the more i have no sympathy for that good for nothing negro called sean bell and his fiancee should even be ashamed of herself for even having kids with that criminal( nothing suprising there) the best she can do for america and black america in particular is to make sure those she raises those little negroes of hers with moral values and principles that will make them better than their sorry ass father
i`m out…….!
I live in Washington DC and work and drive downtown everyday and Marches hold up traffic all the time. Running for a cure people hold up traffic all the time. A man drove a tractor by the ellipse and held up traffic for 3 days… World Bank and IMF marches shut the city down and we get to stay home because they know them people will hold up traffic. Some of them go to jail and some don’t (IMF and World Bank people are the only marchers I heard of going to jail)… Civil Disobedience is the American way. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t. Im all for it… What the hell else can we do??? Just yesterday I saw a cop yank a man out the car and slam his face to the concrete, the man didnt appear to be resisting arrest to me…. Criminals are bad enough… The cops dont need to be criminals too.
The VERDICT was wrong and anybody who thinks that cops should shoot an unarmed man 50 times is crazy. If a man coming out of a club had pointed his gun at my car I would have sped off too… They never said they were cops, they were drinking, and 50 times is overkill anywhere…. The harassment Mrs.. Bell is now receiving from the police is wrong too…
Im glad the people of NY are coming together on this issue.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/18695114.html tianna here’s the link to the videos.
I hope this is a wake up call for all young black men in the United States. Particularly those who are quick to praise white/latino/asian women. What more does society need to do in order to get you to understand that you ar enot respected by society and that it is time for African Americans to start pulling together.
No justice No peace!!!!!!
When world bank protesters hold up traffice they GET What they want. Al Sharpton is holding up traffic to get the people in power to take notice of their cause and make a change… He is showing that its people who believe we have a problem and those people are willing to stand up for it.
so sad
I feel that this entire situation is truly sad from all angles. A fiance has lost a potential spouse, a mother has lost a child, and let’s not forget the most important people, his children. Even if the officers would have been convicted, we all know that they would have been able to plea out to lesser charges and more than likely been given a slap on the wrist. Look at the case of the officer in NY that was driving drunk after leaving a bar and ran down a pregnant woman, killing her. What did he get, suspension without pay and alcoholics anonymous classes? The laws work for the legal system when they are prosecuting average citizens, hoever, the same legal system aparently doesn’t apply to law enforcement or people with power and money. If that had been any joe shmoe that shot someone 50 times, the judge would have been all over that, but because they are cops it makes it different? I realize that he had prior run-ins with the law, but what did that have to do with this time. I have a misdemeanor fro driving without license, so because I have a record does that make it ok for a cop to spray me with bullets. There are people that make poor decisions in life, but that doesn’t make it ok for the police to go overboard, which they do.
200 people were arrested for protesting about the verdict of Sean Bell’s case? There is no justice in the world.
Yo # 17 that was some racist shit you said. How the hell do you know he was a drug dealer? Did he sell you some crack? If he did, which I never heard, shooting him 50 times is ridiculous! This was a hate crime! How can you come on this website and say some hateful shit like that!?
Also, would the world have noticed the protest if Al Sharpton didn’t join? Public figures bring press coverage, even if he is doing for personal gain. I think that the family is just deperate to bring attention to this situation any way that they can.
I meant # 47 comment, not # 17 comment.
I’m not trying to kiss anyone’s ass or anything, but I agree with #56. And even if he did have priors it does not warrant being shot at 50 times.
Rev Al’s services are ALWAYS REQUESTED! He doesn’t just show up on the scene. Why should they have to wait for an appeal when it wasn’t right in the first place. We must remember how it went down in Jena. After the march, the adult charges were thrown out and he was tried as a juvenile. We should enlighten ourselves more by tuning into XM satellite #169 and check the line-up of Black Eagle Joe Madison, Atty Warren Ballentine and Rev. Al’s shows. Talk radio is off the chain and very important.