The meeting was called to hear from Italie and New Order, a group of youth who are active in the working-class communities of Smyrna and Marietta, Georgia, and who organize to fight against police profiling and harassment.

New Order endorses Italie's fight. A 15-person van of Italie supporters and New Order members made the four-hour drive to Valdosta for the meeting.

Members of New Order spoke at the event, inviting everyone to a February 23 demonstration against police profiling in Cobb County. Founder Gerald Rose said that it was important for the two groups to begin working together and supporting each other. New Order would definitely be getting back down to Valdosta to work with the Tribunal, he said.

Willie Head, vice president of the People's Tribunal, introduced Italie as "someone he met a few years ago" in the fight to get justice for Willie James Williams, a Black man who was killed in police custody. Italie wrote several articles on the fight for the Militant and participated in marches and rallies around the case.

"The test of a man's character is not determined by the comfort in his life but in his discomfort," said Head in introducing Italie to the group.

Italie said that he had first become aware of the People's Tribunal back in 1999 when he read a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of a southern Georgia demonstration of 1,200 people. "Although there are many incidents of police killings," he said, "the important thing is when people stand up to fight against it. It is important because when people see others like them standing up for their rights and fighting back it gives them the courage to do the same thing. This is the same for the fight I now find myself in," said Italie.

Italie recounted for the audience the facts around his fight. "As a candidate for mayor of the city of Miami I spoke out in favor of the Cuban Revolution, for the right of workers to form unions, and against the war in Afghanistan. This proved too much for my employer, Goodwill Industries. I was fired explicitly for my political ideas."

Italie also explained that he had campaigned for an increase in the minimum wage. Many of his coworkers at Goodwill earn the minimum or less, he said, noting that disabled workers employed by Goodwill sometimes take home less than $75 for two weeks' work.

At the end of the meeting People's Tribunal president Rev. Floyd Rose thanked both Italie and the members of New Order. "The right to speak your mind is the most basic right that you have and the fight that Michael Italie is waging is one that is important for us all," Rose said.

Most of those present signed up to become endorsers of the Italie defense committee. Jarvis Young, a 16 year old who works at a McDonalds in the area, told Italie that " I can really relate to what you said about the minimum wage. That's what we make where I work and it's just not enough." Young signed up to become part of the effort.

"This is a very important fight," said Jason Deveaux, a 22-year-old machine operator from Smyrna who made the trip. "Workers should not have to choose between our right to freedom of speech and our right to a job. Working people should not have to worry if their job is secure if they disagree with something. This is a big question."

James Harris is a textile worker in Atlanta.
 
 
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