Local Demonstrators Gather in Support of the Jena 6|ABC 7 News

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Local Demonstrators Gather in Support of the Jena 6

posted 6:35 pm Thu September 20, 2007 - Washington

tags: jena 6 • demonstrations • protests • louisiana

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Hundreds of protesters converged on the National Mall, in the shadow of the Capitol, one of several local demonstrations in support of the Jena 6.

"Injustices still happens and we're looking for equality - equal justice for all and we want to highlight the tragic events and what is happening in Jena, said protester Rochelle Bryant. A mid-morning rally outside George Mason University's student union building drew three dozen participants, who chanted and marched around the quad.

"It's ridiculous," said Student LaShonda Wilson. "What they're going through for a simple scuffle, a fight. We experience fights in school all the time and never do you see boys put behind bars."

Students also collected money for the young men at the heart of this controversy. "The donations go to the Jena 6 defense fund and what it is is for the attorney fees and legal expenses and stuff like that," says student Shannon Britt. "That's kind of costly so we wanted to make sure we raised some funds for that."

At Georgetown University, students showed solidarity by wearing black. They handed out flyers to educate other students about the dispute surrounding the Louisiana teens. "If we just use our voice, changes can happen," says student Jheanelle Brown. "So we have to do that because something needs to change."

Added student James Bowden, "We want to make sure the Georgetown voice is heard and we want to make sure it's heard in a loud way."

Latest Comment on Local Demonstrators Gather in Support of the Jena 6

MyTwoCents

11:06 am on 09/23/07

I have to tell all of you that I am saddened by your lack of understanding and compassion. The fact that I just watched a video on Democracy Now where the town librarian says that the hanging of a noose has nothing to do with racism Her comment tells me that those young men could never get a fair trial in that town. Please educate yourself on the entire case before you make pass judgment on those students. How can you want us to get over all the hangings, beatings, killings, etc that is part our recent history when you can’t get over one black man that you believe got away with murder. Get over it. Think about all the cases where blacks were murder in broad daylight with half the town there and no one was prosecuted. If you want us to move on then you do the same. Most blacks could care less about O.J. Simpson. Had the prosecutor done his job correctly and collected a little background information on their witnesses and not ask the defendant to put on a glove, O.J. may not be walking around as a free man today.

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