As many as 200 protesters were arrested, including The Rev. Al Sharpton and Bell's fiancée Nicole Paultre Bell. ...
Sean Bell Case
Valerie Bell, right, mother of the late Sean Bell, meets singer Patti LaBelle on stage during the "Divas With Heart" concert at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, May 4, 2008. LaBelle had invited Bell onto the stage during her song, "Two Steps." The concert benefits the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica, N.Y. (AP Photo/Scott Wynn/Scott Wynn Photography)
AP
Nicole Paultre Bell (L) and Trent Benefield (C) listen as Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Nicole Paultre Bell (L) and Trent Benefield listen as Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Nicole Paultre Bell (L) listens as Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Al Sharpton speaks about the Sean Bell trial during his live radio broadcast in New York May 3, 2008. Sharpton is organizing a rally on Wednesday to protest against the not guilty verdict of the three detectives involved in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Sean Bell was killed in a hail of 50 bullets on his wedding day. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Sean Bell's fiance, Nicole Paultre Bell, holds her daughter Jordyn during a news conference Sunday, April 27, 2008 at National Action headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)
AP
People block the intersection of 125th Street and 7th Ave. during march to protest the acquittal of the three NYPD detectives on all charges stemming from the November 2006 killing of Sean Bell Sunday, April 27, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)
AP
Sean Bell's fiance, Nicole Paultre Bell, 3rd -left, sits with her mother, 2nd-left and shooting victim Joseph Guzman, 2nd-right, as Rev. Al Sharpton speaks, Sunday, April 27, 2008 at National Action headquarters in New York. The women at far right and left are unidentified. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)
AP
From Harlem to Lower Manhattan and across the East River in Brooklyn, the protesters held a pray-in for a federal investigation of the shootings. They then marched to designated traffic choke points. The plastic handcuffs came out to arrest marchers when they apparently attempted to shut down the city's most commuted bridges, the Holland Tunnel, and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Triborough and Queensborough bridges.
The pray-in at One Police Plaza was led by the Rev. Al Sharpton who was arrested, along with Bell's fiancée Nicole Paultre Bell and his parents, William and Valerie, and the two survivors of the shooting, Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman.
Earlier in the day, I did some person-in-the-street interviews. I asked folks whether they planned to participate in the protests. While most did not plan to go for the usual reasons, e.g., work, school, children, etc., they were fully supportive.
Darlene (she didn't want to give her last name) captured the state of mind of New Yorkers who are outraged by a pattern of police brutality:
I feel like they got over. All of those shots were not necessary. If they wanted to wound them, they could have.Tony (also didn't want to give his last name) planned to march with Sharpton at NYPD headquarters. He told me:
Justice doesn't balance for black people. I have no choice. That's my black brother. I'm tired of marching but they think killing a n-word is OK.For updated info, please visit the National Action Network.
It seems like this place [U.S.A.] was made specifically to kill black people. It doesn't make sense for you to shoot a man 50 times. Black life is not cherished.
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Comments: (10)
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By: "Ms. Tell it Like It IZ" on 5/08/2008 7:29AM
If I were there, I would have "Protested" too! I would have ben chattin, "No justice, no peace." I would have been protestor #201 and would have locked my AZZ up in jail right along with them.
I think what ticked off the police was when the protesters said, "We Are All Sean Bell: This Damn System is Guilty". "I guess when you say Damn in this country it's HATE WORDS?
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By: umy on 5/08/2008 2:55PM
This system is very unfair. They don't care about black people. The saddest part is that they are mainly killing and destroying the lives of young black people who have promising fututes to look forward to. Look at Amadu Dialo's case. It is very sad. But I know that one day Justice will prevail as long as we don't stop fighting, we will get there.
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By: Unkown on 5/08/2008 3:30PM
While I feel sorry for the family....
Promising future? Oh is that why he was dealing drugs (he had a record), hanging out at a club known for prostitution and drug use, and tried to run over a cop?
If you want to know about someone who the justice system tried to destroy the promising future of, look up Reuben Carter. It's very sad that Sean Bell is gone, but it doesn't sound like he had a promising future given his record and that was something he did to himself. His record I mean.
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By: Shanay on 5/08/2008 4:18PM
Regardless of him having a record or not. That still not give the police ANY right to shoot him down like an animal....HE WAS NOT ARMED!
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By: william landers on 5/08/2008 6:47PM
William Landers Candidate for Connecticut State Representative.
William Landers speech at the Connecticut GOP Straw Poll.
I was the Huckabee speaker. Please go to the Huckabee section and view it.
http://brainflation.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/gop-straw-poll-coverage-jan-25th/
http://brainflation.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/middletown-straw-poll-coverage-jan-26th/
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By: DIVATUDE!!!!! on 5/08/2008 7:06PM
TO UNKNOWN (#3), JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS A RECORD DOESN'T MEAN THEY WON'T HAVE A PROMISING FUTURE. WE WILL NEVER KNOW NOW WHAT THIS MAN WILL HAVE , AND SO QUICK ARE U TO JUDGE BUT LAST TIME I CHECKED U ARE A IMPERFECT HUMAN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. WHO IS TO SAY HE WAS REALLY GOING TO RUN THE COPS OVER THATS THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY . WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE ACCUSED TO TELL HIS SIDE. OH THATS RIGHT HE CAN'T HE IS DEAD.
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By: "Ms. Tell it Like It IZ" on 5/08/2008 8:06PM
To william landers #5,
WHAT DOES AND YOUR ELECTION SITE AND YOUR OTHER LINKS HAS TO DO WITH THIS ARTICLE? "BOO,BOO", THIS IS "IRELEVANT". THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE!
I guess you overlooked above where it said;
Add your comments Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry: inappropriate or purely promotional comments may be removed. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments.
"BOO, BOO," YOU ARE ON THE WRONG BLOG!
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By: mjcwunyy on 5/08/2008 8:50PM
I do feel bad for anyone who dies like this. But it kills me that everyone blames the cops when something like this happens. If Bell was armed and did kill the cop, would there be protest. He was not shot like an animal, he was shot in a split second decision. You are all smart...is a criminal going to anounce he has a gun before he shoots? You all want to lash out at a system that is only as good as you people. You talk about not judging, but you all are quick to judge these cops...one was black, and the other was latino, yet its still a race issue. Maybe when you can expand your mind and look beyond the color of anyone's skin, we will be able to go beyond this. What bell should have done, was keep calm, not go into a tyrade. He has his own life in his hand.
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By: Monique Butler on 5/12/2008 11:29AM
This is my first time hearing of this record Mr.Bell but doe what does have to do particular nite? This was his wedding celebration, what person would not think that this youngman was trying to better his life. Who would not get upset with the police if you were not guilty of anything but celebratingthe nite before you walk down the aisles of your wedding. I live in TEXAS where there is No Justice No Peace. I pray that something be done to better the system. I have no children but I have a brother and two nephrews and I'ms just scared!My sister let them go different places and all while their are out I'm calling them on their cell phone checking on them . Especially my youngest nephrew he hangs outwith some white guys who wear all that black clothing and all those different siver jewerly but you can not they my family that he needs to be watched especially going places with those white guys. His is very smart minded and smart mouthed. But you know soon as something bad happpens the Black one is the first to be Blamed. One time I had to go take him and his brother and these white guyto a TEENCLUB . OH the other parent probably saw that these twoblack boys where their children friend and decided that they could not atke them to the TEEN CLUB, I was so nervous that I went to the mall down the street and came back and waited in the car until it was over. But my nreves got the best of me due to just observing that therewere not other Blacks going in to in club. So I ask the policeman on duty could I go in to use the restroom and get some water. He said Yes. What a relief. I went in a there were at least five other Blacks in the TEENCLUB.Four boys and one girl I felt much better.
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By: Magnolia White-Horton on 5/16/2008 8:52PM
Prejudice at its best. The more afraid the whites become the more black deaths and arrests will come. There will never be equality. Ignorance is taught not born. Ignorant adults breeds ignorant children.
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