The Militant (logo) 
   Vol.66/No.7            February 18, 2002 
 
 
Hundreds condemn cop killing
of Haitian youth in New York
(front page)
 
BY CAROLE LESNICK
BROOKLYN, New York--The Haitian community here has organized a series of protests against the January 16 police killing of Georgy Louisgene, a 23-year-old worker. New York cops James Muirhead and Joseph Thompson shot Louisgene at the Vanderveer Estates housing project in East Flatbush. The two fired eight shots, five of which hit Louisgene, who was pronounced dead at the site of the shooting.

Four hundred people turned out for Louisgene's funeral February 2, which was followed by a march. Encouraging people to come to the action, his sister Abellard Louisgene told the Daily Challenge, "We want people to come from everywhere. It's not a matter of a Brooklyn man, of a Haitian man, it's a problem within the city of New York. It should be a concern to everybody."

Following the funeral mass, marchers accompanied family members and the funeral cortege to 3501 Foster Avenue where the youth was gunned down. The route was heavily policed and participants in the protest were quick to express their anger and determination in a mixture of English, French, and Creole. Chants of "NYPD--murderers!" and "No justice, no peace!" were joined by "Nou Wè," Creole for "We witness"--pointing the finger of responsibility for the killing, and previous cop killings and assaults, straight at the New York Police Department.

The cops have said to the media that they shot Louisgene in self-defense, claiming he charged them with a knife and a stick. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at the time of the shooting that Louisgene had been behaving in a "deranged" manner.

At the protest those who knew Louisgene said the police portrayal of the victim had nothing to do with the man they knew. Some pointed out that the young worker only weighed 115 pounds and could not be considered a threat to well-armed police. Louisgene, who was born in Haiti and had lived in the United States for nine years, worked at a CVS drug store.

Abellard Louisgene told the Daily Challenge that the family hasn't "heard anything from the police side, except the usual. But we have a lot of community support."

The protest came only two days before an action to mark the third anniversary of the police killing of Amadou Diallo in 1999. This killing followed the brutal torture of fellow Haitian Abner Louima. Police also killed Patrick Dorismond, a young Haitian-American, in March 2000.

Dahoud Andre of the Haitian Coalition for Justice explained that the protests "don't end with the funeral." In a phone conversation with the Militant he said future actions are being planned.

Participants in the protest, including members of the Haitian Coalition for Justice, the Haiti Support Network, and the Alliance of Haitian Immigrants, are determined to follow through on the appeal made by Abellard Louisgene.

On Radio Lakay two days after her brother's killing, she called on the whole community "to help us in this fight for justice. We must put an end to these assassinations."

Sara Katz contributed to this article.  
 
 
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