BY AL DUNCAN
NEW YORK - Thousands of demonstrators marched across the Brooklyn Bridge August 29 in a massive protest against police brutality and in support of police torture victim Abner Louima. Carrying posters and toilet plungers, at least 15,000 marchers chanted "What time is it -Louima time" and "PBA, KKK, different name same thing," referring to the Policeman's Benevolent Association, as they made their way to city hall.

Demonstrators were responding to an appeal by Louima, made from his hospital bed, that the best way for those who opposed police brutality and were angered by what had happen to him was to join the march.

Samuel Nicolas, Louima's cousin, spoke on the injured man's behalf at the rally at City Hall. Nicolas reported, "His bladder is punctured. His intestine is lacerated. He may never go to the bathroom the way he used to. But his spirit is not broken. He said, "I shall not die.' "

Speaking for himself Nicolas said, "We are here because there are a lot of Abner Louima's who did not live to tell his story... This movement will continue until all these criminals are behind bars."

The march, which was called by the Haitian American Alliance and Haitian Enforcement Against Racism, and supported by many other groups and prominent individuals, received front page coverage in all this city's dailies. It began at Grand Army Plaza, a well-known location in the borough of Brooklyn and proceeded over the Brooklyn Bridge to New York City Hall in Manhattan.

Abner Louima, a 30-year-old Haitian immigrant, was arrested outside a Brooklyn nightclub on August 9. On the way to the police station house he was beaten at two separate locations by different gangs of cops. After arriving at the 70th Precinct, two cops dragged him into the men's bathroom with his pants down, forced a toilet plunger into his rectum, and then into his mouth. Louima said the cops shouted "stupid nigger" and other racial insults as they beat him.

So far, two officers from the 70th Precinct, Justin Volpe and Charles Schwarz, have been charged with brutalizing Louima. Two other officers, Thomas Wiese and Thomas Bruder, are charged with beating Louima on the way to the police station.

Wendy Allen, a 28-year-old workers who is white, came as soon as she got out of work. "I came to support what is going on," she said. "If it helps to keep people motivated it will be a really good thing."

She said some of her friends couldn't believe the cops would carry out such a brutal act. "I think it happens all the time," she said. "I learned that growing up in New Jersey." Allen's brother had been brutalized by the cops many years ago.

When asked why he was at the march, Al Liburd, a 24-year- old student who attends Brooklyn's Kingsboro Community College said, "To show them that there are a lot of people who support him [Louima]. I also want to let the Haitian community know that they aren't alone."

Underscoring this point was the presence of a number of other victims of police brutality, such as Max Antoine from New Jersey, who now is in a wheelchair after being savagely beaten by cops in Irvington, New Jersey. Anthony Rosario Sr., was also there, and told how his son was shot numerous times in the back while laying on the floor with his hands outstretched by two NYPD officers.

A contingent of members of National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 300 participated, carrying their union banner, as well as another supporting the Louima case and protesting police brutality.

Also marching in the demonstration were the three main Democratic Party candidates for mayor of New York, Rev. Al Sharpton, Manhattan borough president Ruth Messinger, and Sal Albanese. Sharpton and Messinger spoke at the City Hall park rally.

Former New York mayor David Dinkins also marched and spoke to the protesters. His comments were generally well received by the crowd, but his call for the marchers to "recognize that not all New York Police Department officers are guilty of brutality," was met with boos.

Also speaking was Norman Siegel of the New York Civil Liberties Union, who now serves on Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's newly created commission to look into police brutality. He used his remarks to call for a stronger Civilian Complaint Review board capable of dealing with the nearly 2,000 bad cops that he says are on the NYPD. Offering a different assessment of the Mayor's commission on police brutality was 42-year-old Larry Johnson, who lives five blocks from the 70th Precinct. "It's a joke," Johnson stated, "Giuliani had to run to do something to appease the people in New York, because he knows they ain't gonna put up with this."

Eric Tan, of the Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence, received big applause from the marchers. In a speech at the Grand Army Plaza assembly area, Tan declared, "Blood is on the hands of both the Democrats and Republicans who didn't do a damn thing when these crimes were committed," by the New York cops.

Some 2,500 police lined the route of the march and rally. No major confrontations occurred during the day, but at the conclusion of the rally, more than 100 protesters were arrested as they returned to Brooklyn via the bridge. The cops claimed that they attempted to block traffic onto the bridge. They were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with governmental administration.

When asked what should be done next, 43-year-old Yves Roche, who was at the march with several others from his union, Hospital Workers Local 420, AFSCME Dist. Council 37 said, "Don't have justice - going to keep on marching."

Al Duncan is a member of the United Transportation Union in Newark, New Jersey.  
 
 
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