PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Swissvale and Edgewood Youth Stand Up Police Harassment
by Morgan Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006 at 1:50 AM

On Saturday around 50 people protested Swissvale and Edgewood Police treatment of people of color and youth.

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Angered by their treatment by the Swissvale and Edgewood Police Departments, several teenagers in those East End neighborhoods have organized a loose group, called “Let's Stand Up,” to respond to police misconduct in their communities. Last Saturday, August 26th, around 50 people participated in the group's first public protest.

Marching behind a homemade banner – a bedsheet spray-painted with the words “Stop Police Racism” – the protest marched from Edgewood Town Center to Regent Square and then back to the center of Swissvale. Protesters yelling “Racism means we've got to fight back” and “No Justice, No Peace; No Racist Police” attracted a large amount of support from bystanders – drivers honked and held raised fists out of windows, pedestrians ran to catch up.

Ben Johnson, 15, is one of the founders of Let's Stand Up. He said that growing up, he had always noticed differences in the way police treat of people of color. It was an incident at a movie night in a neighborhood park, however, that inspired him to start Let's Stand Up. That evening, said Johnson “... a group of white kids came over shouting the n-word at a group of black kids . . . the police [then] came over told the black kids that if they did not get of the field, off the premises, that they were going to be arrested. The white kids, nothing happened to them.”

In another incident, Johnson says he and a group of five or six others were handing out flyers about police misconduct in Swissvale when “three cop cars pulled up, told us all to sit down [on the curb] and threatened to give us fines and arrests.”

This harassment escalated: shortly before the August 26th protest, Edgewood Police called Johnson and told him to come into the Police Station. There, says Johnson several officers told him “... all the reasons it would be bad for having [the protest] in Edgewood . . . and when I told him we were going to have it anyway, he kept up. Other officers from Edgewood were threatening me and telling me that I would be arrested.”

Despite these and other threats to the young organizers, Saturday's protest was free of arrests; at least three Swissvale Police cars lurked around the march, but all kept their distance.

At the end of the march, throats sore from yelling, but obviously excited by the success of their first action, several of the Let's Stand Up organizers walked back to Edgewood Town Center, vowing to keep pressure on both the Swissvale and Edgewood Police Departments, “We're going to keep it going, keep it going, and take the next steep.”

Not As Planned?
by C Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006 at 11:08 PM

No Arrests. Only three cop cars. POG must be dissapointed.

idiot
by steelinzer Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 at 12:10 AM

what a reactionary and uniformed comment. pog was the only group that stepped up to support the yuts who organized the event. not a big suprise since liberals rarely take on police racism or brutality issues. it was the organizers who relayed that the police had threatened them with arrest and violence. they were the ones who approached pog for support. had you actually attended this event you'd have known that the 25 pog kids there were not looking for a confrontation and were extremely happy with how things worked out.

C.
by Dissatisfied Customer Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 at 9:34 AM

I ordered extra ranch dressing. What's your problem?
Dial and Dine my ass.

Ahem.
by C. Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 at 2:22 PM

Excuse the comment. I was in a foul mood. I should have phrased that a little different, but I didn't. Sorry.

For my disgruntled customer: I welcome you to call so that we can resolve your grievance.

I am taking steps to separate my private affairs from my posts on indypgh. I would appreciate it if you did as well. Thanks.

POG at this action
by blank Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 at 5:06 PM

Look, while most of the time I think that POG's headfirst rush into lines of riot cops is a bit over the top - not to mention alienating and risky for those who can't take those kind of risks but still want to participate in an action - I think that POG's actions and support at this march were *exactly* what those with that kind of privilege should be taking. The cops backed off because there were 50 people at the march. POG folks - with one exception that I won't describe here, but hopefully POG folks will know what I'm alluding to - provided wonderful support: they lent their organizational skill and brought out a good number of folks without, and this is key, *without* jumping in front of the parade, without using it as a recruitment tool, and without taking action that would put the whole march at risk (again, one exception...). Young folks and people of color are at risk enough when dealing with the cops without someone taking pointless actions to give the cops an excuse. But at this action, POG used their privilege and willingness to confront cops as a tool to help create space for others to organize. Truly, this is the best I've ever seen their confrontational attitude used; infinitely more useful, effective and more radical then some of the ritualized militancy that they are know for. Much respect for your support at this action, POG.

what one thing?
by a pog attendee Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 at 5:14 PM

this is one pog person who attended who was unaware there was an incident. the organizers had no complaints with anyones actions at the event. if something uncalled for did occur I hope you can let people know so it can be addressed.

what?
by pgh anarchist Friday, Sep. 01, 2006 at 12:07 AM

yeah i was there, and i know for a fact that members pog and the organizers of this event have a good relationship and between the two there were no issues whatsoever. and i can't remember an incident ever where pog was involved in "ritualized militancy", or ever engaged in militancy at all. and when have they ever jumped to the front of a march and tried to recruit people? as far as i know pog isn't a state socialist group.

incident
by not surprised Friday, Sep. 01, 2006 at 9:28 AM

As close to an 'incident' that occured at this action, could only be the managing of dissent by the usual vanguardist, liberal elements.
Unfortunately there are authoritarians who are quick to play the role of the police, by doing their jobs for them and love to play the media driven "good-protester, bad protester" game. Contrary to the wishes of the organizers and the community memebrs who participated, these Stalinists (for lack of a better term) sought to hijack the action and preserve the status quo, to reinforce their reputation as "leaders".
Much credit is deserved by the youth organizers, the local participants and community members, and pog for their contribution.