#FreeKhali & All Our Political Prisoners!
Quick update: The following is just an update regarding the change in my/our charges. Additional update and explanation to follow regarding recent OPD raid and arrests at Frank Ogawa - Oscar Grant Plaza.
Initial, Baseless Charges
Many of us, myself included, were originally charged with a misdemeanor (148) resisting/obstructing a peace officer. This was/is ironic as the officers who arrested me gave me no verbal warning before grabbing my hair and throwing me down. Furthermore, they immediately thanked me for complying and not resisting.
Where Exactly Are These Peace Officers We Keep Hearing About?
Though I inquired as to why I was being taken into custody, multiple officers ignored/refused to answer. Eventually I was informed of my initial charge, long after they had thrown us into the back of the paddy-wagon and driven off from the Plaza. Fast-forwarding through all the lies, physical and psychological abuse dealt to us at the hands of OPD and Santa Rita...we found out at our arraignment that our charges had been changed.
Who Knew That OPD Considers the Public Talking and Singing With The Public To Be Malicious?
Now, they are charging me with "obstruction of a thoroughfare, a violation of section 647(c) of the penal code of California:
"...That said defendant(s) did willfully and maliciously obstruct the free movement of the City of Oakland, a person on a street, sidewalk, and other public place and on and in a place open to the public."
This Little Light of Mine, I'm 'Gonna Let It Shine
I'm not sure at what point I am no longer considered a member of the public who has a right to be in the Plaza or on the sidewalks of our beloved city, talking to other members of the public... but I do know that singing a hymn is not malicious. Hugging, saying hello to and listening to other members of the public is not malicious. These are the things I was doing in the minutes leading up to and including the arrival of 20+ cars full of riot clad police.
If anything, the arms that grabbed my hair and threw me down...the hands that pulled the zip ties on so tight that the circulation in my left hand was nearly cut off...that bruised my hands and caused my fingers to swell so much that they couldn't remove my rings upon my arrival at Santa Rita...and the force used which strained my shoulder...the deputy that actively said he didn't care that my blood sugar was dropping dangerously low because they had refused to feed us as we waited all day Friday in a holding cell for what was scheduled as 9am arraignment...the deputy who said as we were being released that if we went to Occupy Oakland, he'd be there with his shotgun ready to shoot...the system that had actively denied Marcel "Khali" Johnson his psych meds and jeopardized his physical and mental health...these are acts that I would classify as malicious. Sadly, these malicious acts are but the tip of the iceberg...
naomi.masako.reagan
twitter: @naedesu
Free Khali and all of our Political Prisoners!
