Yet another innocent black youth has been gunned down, this time by the NYPD. Kimani Gray. He was a young man, about 16 years old, who was shot in the back while running from the police. Apparently, he was armed, and while the police accuse him of drawing a weapon, none of the other eyewitnesses corroborate that account. The facts aren't clear yet, which is why I haven't commented.
The best article on this incident is over at think progress. I recommend you read it.
A lot of my friends from Occupy showed up to support the family at a vigil. But the street fighters showed up too, determined to raise hell. In a community already reeling from violence, adults from outside the community came not to comfort the family, but to cause even more violence.
Showing up in a moment of mourning for the dead to incite violence, get attention, and score political points... now who else uses that tactic?
City Councilor Juumayne Williams, whose district the incident occurred in, was furious.
Many of the worst troublemakers who caused problems for Occupy in NYC were out in Brooklyn last night, raising hell and inciting or causing violence. But it wasn't enough to just trash a neighborhood they don't live in, they also trashed that neighborhood's elected representative, a man who came out and stood with us at Zuccotti.
Jumaayne Williams, a community leader and city councilor who was at the vigil, was telling them not to cause problems for the black community. Their response was typical dismissive "you don't know what you're talking about and I know better" daddy knows best racism.
When he asked people to stay out of his community if they were only there to cause violence, people responded with confusion and anger.
For reference, he was in the streets, tweeting from his phone as he attended the family's vigil.
Your privilege is showing, folks. When a leader of the black community tells you you're not being helpful, the best bet is to listen, not blast him for harshing your streetfighting buzz.