Harvard Students Organize Diallo Protests

Two days after 3,000 people marched down New York City's Fifth Avenue to protest the Amadou Diallo verdict, Harvard students will hold a quieter protest.

While a large community rally is scheduled for this afternoon at Government Center, concerned students plan to wear all black to protest the verdict.

Four New York City police officers were acquitted last Friday of Diallo's murder. They fired 41 shots at Diallo, an unarmed immigrant from West Africa, striking him 19 times and killing him on Feb. 4, 1999.

The protest is being sponsored primarily by the Black Men's Forum (BMF), but other organizations, including the Black Students' Association (BSA), Harvard African Students Association (HASA), Education for Action and the Haitian Alliance will be participating as well.

By wearing all black, protesters said they hope to raise awareness of racial profiling and to express their dissatisfaction with the ruling.

"I think the verdict is a travesty of justice," said BMF President Shearwood McClelland '00. "As an African American it's hard to have faith in the legal system, because it is a legal system and not a justice system."

The BSA is also suggesting that its members wear black.

"It's a mourning for the verdict," said BSA President Alicia E. Johnson '01. "It's a mourning that there are more and more occurrences of cops shooting blacks and not being convicted," she said.

"This is mourning that racism still occurs--that cops can just see the color of somebody's skin and determine if they are criminal," she added.

Some students are planning to attend the rally today at 4 p.m. at Government Center.

The protest, organized by the Next Alliance, a coalition of Boston minority student groups, will include speeches by community leaders, a mass rally and a march to Boston City Hall.

Alex Papali, a member of the Next Alliance, said he hoped the protest could be used to focus the anger triggered by the verdict in a positive direction.

"Rather than direct the outrage in a negative direction, we've decided to direct it toward something constructive and productive," he said.

Papali said the speakers at the rally will probably include Boston City Councillor Chuck Turner and Rep. Gloria Fox (D-Boston), although the list is unconfirmed.

However, there will be no Harvard group attending the rally collectively because of conflicts in scheduling with classes.

Mana Golzari '01, a board member of Education for Action, will wear black tomorrow and will attend the rally.

"In this country the criminal justice system is not accounting for the inherent racism in this country, and we claim to be the country setting the standard on human rights," she said.

Marlene M. Losier '01, president of the Haitian Alliance, agreed that changes in the way police make arrests must happen soon.

"I'm afraid that no one will do something and that it will happen again," she said.

The BMF is also planning to hold a forum tonight at 7 p.m., tentatively in Emerson 305, to discuss the issue of racial profiling. The meeting is open to the entire Harvard community.