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| Stop and frisk protesters in New York march on mayor's house | Stop and frisk protesters in New York march on mayor's house |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Thousands of New Yorkers took to the city's streets on Sunday in a silent march to mayor Michael Bloomberg's home to protest against the city's controversial stop and frisk policy. | Thousands of New Yorkers took to the city's streets on Sunday in a silent march to mayor Michael Bloomberg's home to protest against the city's controversial stop and frisk policy. |
| Critics say the programme has resulted in a two-tier system of justice that disproportionately targets black and Latino communities. | Critics say the programme has resulted in a two-tier system of justice that disproportionately targets black and Latino communities. |
| Before the march, Bloomberg appealed for understanding of the policy. Speaking in front of a predominantly black audience at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, he said the practice needs to be "mended, not ended." | Before the march, Bloomberg appealed for understanding of the policy. Speaking in front of a predominantly black audience at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, he said the practice needs to be "mended, not ended." |
| Bloomberg added: "We've sent a message to criminals. If we think you are carrying a gun, we are going to stop you." | Bloomberg added: "We've sent a message to criminals. If we think you are carrying a gun, we are going to stop you." |
| The mayor, along with NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly, has vigorously defended the stop and frisk programme, which empowers police to stop individuals on the street if they suspect the person is committing a crime or preparing to. Officers are permitted to conduct frisks if they have an articulable reason to believe the subject of the stop is armed. | The mayor, along with NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly, has vigorously defended the stop and frisk programme, which empowers police to stop individuals on the street if they suspect the person is committing a crime or preparing to. Officers are permitted to conduct frisks if they have an articulable reason to believe the subject of the stop is armed. |
| Sunday's march was organised by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), along with the National Action Network, several unions and community organizations, as well as members of the Occupy Wall Street movement. | Sunday's march was organised by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), along with the National Action Network, several unions and community organizations, as well as members of the Occupy Wall Street movement. |
| It was the first nationally organized NAACP silent march in New York City since 1917. The march stretched roughly a dozen city blocks and estimates put the number of people participating at 12,000. | It was the first nationally organized NAACP silent march in New York City since 1917. The march stretched roughly a dozen city blocks and estimates put the number of people participating at 12,000. |
| Protesters held true to their vow to march in silence. At times the only sounds that could be heard were feet slapping pavement, birds chirping and the occasional crackle of a police radio. | Protesters held true to their vow to march in silence. At times the only sounds that could be heard were feet slapping pavement, birds chirping and the occasional crackle of a police radio. |
| Bloomberg has consistently argued that stop and frisk is in the best interest of the communities that most often denounce it. He noted that violent crime dropped by 34% during his time in office and said if crime stayed at the same level that it was 10 years ago, it would have resulted in roughly 5,600 more murders. | |
| "Many of them, sadly, would have been young people, especially young men," he said. | "Many of them, sadly, would have been young people, especially young men," he said. |
| "And when you consider that 90% of all murder victims are black and Hispanic, there is no doubt most of those victims would have come from communities like this one," the mayor added. | "And when you consider that 90% of all murder victims are black and Hispanic, there is no doubt most of those victims would have come from communities like this one," the mayor added. |
| But many of those taking part in the march took issue with Bloomberg's argument. | But many of those taking part in the march took issue with Bloomberg's argument. |
| "The notion that this makes us safer is a big lie," said Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP, who spent much of Sunday's march with his 6 year-old daughter Morgan perched on his shoulders. "What it does is it drives a wall between the most victimised communities in this city and the very people who have sworn to protect them." | "The notion that this makes us safer is a big lie," said Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP, who spent much of Sunday's march with his 6 year-old daughter Morgan perched on his shoulders. "What it does is it drives a wall between the most victimised communities in this city and the very people who have sworn to protect them." |
| "It is not surprising to find out that while this city has lowered violent crime by 29% in the last ten years, Baltimore has done it by 37% without this programme. Dallas by 49% without this programme, and the city of Los Angeles by 59% without this programme. | "It is not surprising to find out that while this city has lowered violent crime by 29% in the last ten years, Baltimore has done it by 37% without this programme. Dallas by 49% without this programme, and the city of Los Angeles by 59% without this programme. |
| "We don't need to violate people's human rights or their basic dignity to make this country safer," he said. | "We don't need to violate people's human rights or their basic dignity to make this country safer," he said. |
| Jealous also commented on the passing of Rodney King, whose violent beating at the hands of Los Angeles police officers exposed longstanding tensions between police departments and low income black communities. | Jealous also commented on the passing of Rodney King, whose violent beating at the hands of Los Angeles police officers exposed longstanding tensions between police departments and low income black communities. |
| "What the passing of Rodney King reminds us is that we've been fighting for an entire generation to finally get to a place where people are treated the same no matter what colour they are," he said. | "What the passing of Rodney King reminds us is that we've been fighting for an entire generation to finally get to a place where people are treated the same no matter what colour they are," he said. |
| Under Bloomberg and Kelly, police street stops have increased 600% over the last decade. The overwhelming majority of those stopped are black or Latino and on average nearly nine out of ten are not charged with a crime or issued a summons. | Under Bloomberg and Kelly, police street stops have increased 600% over the last decade. The overwhelming majority of those stopped are black or Latino and on average nearly nine out of ten are not charged with a crime or issued a summons. |
| In 2011 the NYPD broke its own record by stopping nearly 700,000 people and 2012 is on pace to be another record-breaking year. | In 2011 the NYPD broke its own record by stopping nearly 700,000 people and 2012 is on pace to be another record-breaking year. |
| Meanwhile, the number of shootings in the city when Bloomberg and Kelly came into office in 2002 is roughly the same as the number recorded last year, despite the explosion in stops. | Meanwhile, the number of shootings in the city when Bloomberg and Kelly came into office in 2002 is roughly the same as the number recorded last year, despite the explosion in stops. |
| The controversy surrounding stop and frisk has steadily grown in recent months, beginning with a series of civil disobedience demonstrations that started in October. | The controversy surrounding stop and frisk has steadily grown in recent months, beginning with a series of civil disobedience demonstrations that started in October. |
| In May, a federal judge granted class action status to a landmark lawsuit accusing the NYPD of unconstitutional and systematic racial profiling through its use of stop and frisk, noting in her ruling evidence that the police had conducted thousands of illegal stops. | In May, a federal judge granted class action status to a landmark lawsuit accusing the NYPD of unconstitutional and systematic racial profiling through its use of stop and frisk, noting in her ruling evidence that the police had conducted thousands of illegal stops. |
| Kelly responded with a letter stating that new training policies would be implemented to ensure police were conducting legal stops and vowed to enforce measures against racial profiling. | Kelly responded with a letter stating that new training policies would be implemented to ensure police were conducting legal stops and vowed to enforce measures against racial profiling. |
| Sunday's march was overwhelmingly peaceful, with police allowing the march to proceed for several blocks without incident. | |
| As the demonstration came to a close, however, a contingent of demonstrators filled an intersection near the mayor's home, where protesters chanted, "We say no to the new Jim Crow, stop and frisk has got to go." | As the demonstration came to a close, however, a contingent of demonstrators filled an intersection near the mayor's home, where protesters chanted, "We say no to the new Jim Crow, stop and frisk has got to go." |
| Police moved the crowd out of a major roadway and onto a residential street after demonstrators chanted, "Whose streets? Our streets." | Police moved the crowd out of a major roadway and onto a residential street after demonstrators chanted, "Whose streets? Our streets." |
| A skirmish ensued and police pulled a young woman from the crowd. The protester was led to a squad car by a group officers. | A skirmish ensued and police pulled a young woman from the crowd. The protester was led to a squad car by a group officers. |
| With her hands cuffed behind her back the young woman's breast was fully exposed, sparking outrage from some onlookers. Shortly after police were seen moving onto a crowded pavement where they arrested at least three more protesters. | With her hands cuffed behind her back the young woman's breast was fully exposed, sparking outrage from some onlookers. Shortly after police were seen moving onto a crowded pavement where they arrested at least three more protesters. |
| A number of demonstrators hurled abuse at the police officers present. A young Latino protester focused on minority officers, yelling at one black police officer, "They're beating your people." | A number of demonstrators hurled abuse at the police officers present. A young Latino protester focused on minority officers, yelling at one black police officer, "They're beating your people." |
| As the crowd was dispersed, an NYPD community affairs officer said, "All I can say is wow. I thought it was going well." | As the crowd was dispersed, an NYPD community affairs officer said, "All I can say is wow. I thought it was going well." |