Shareef Aleem, Larry Hales and Melissa Kleinman at Dec. 3 news conference.

 

 

On Nov. 30, 2007 African-American police brutality and anti-war activist Larry Hales was arrested after 10 cops illegally busted into his home without a warrant and without permission, physically attacked him and handcuffed his partner to a chair. He is facing frame-up charges of "interfering with the police" and faces extended jail time for being the victim of a police attack.

Hales has been a primary organizer of a number of anti-imperialist and anti-racist events in Denver. He is a leader of the youth group FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together; a founder of Colorado United Communities Against Police Brutality; and an organizer with the International Action Center and the Troops Out Now Coalition. Hales is also a principal organizer in the Recreate 68 Committee, which is planning protests to counter the Democratic National Convention to be held in Denver in August.

 

At the time of the police attack, Hales and his partner Melissa Kleinman were housing a survivor of police brutality who was on parole. The man had been shot in the back by police and had filed a civil case against the Aurora police department. Hales had previously agreed to house visits by the man's parole officer, but only when the man was home.
 
However, when Hales told the police officers at his door on Nov. 30 that the parolee wasn't home, and asked to see the business cards that because of a city ordinance Denver police must carry and surrender upon request, he had badges stuck in his face and told that they didn't have to give him their cards. Hales told them that they didn't have permission to come in, that the parolee was not home and that he wanted their cards. One of them scoffed and pushed the door open and him out of the way.
 
The cops charged into his apartment and ransacked his house. When Hales expressed concern that his cats would escape, he was shoved.

 

When he asserted his rights, the police told him to shut up and violently attacked him, twisting his arm, grabbing him by the back of the neck, ripping out several of his dreadlocks, throwing him against the wall, and tearing off his shirt. He was pushed down the stairs of his apartment building, against the wall and railings and out into the cold night with a half-ripped shirt, socks and thin sweat pants. One officer squeezed his cuffs and the two had an exchange, where the officer remarked that more could be done and that Hales could end up face down on the ground, then he was hit in the stomach and thrown into the car.

 

The officers rolled the front windows down, left Hales in the car, told him he looked like he might hurt himself and that he would be booked as a "John Doe" and have to spend 72 hours in jail before anyone could find him. He spent the night in a freezing jail cell.

Police brutality is rampant in Denver, and this attack is part of the ongoing attacks on Black youth, from the Jena 6 to Sean Bell and countless cases of police brutality and repression throughout the country.

 

In addition, the police violence against such a well-known activist can only be seen as part of a continuing attempt to stifle political dissent. At a press conference in the days following the attack, Denver police brutality activist and survivor Shareef Aleem noted that police were attempting to neutralize activists related to the DNC protests.

 

He stated:

"In the last couple of years many of us involved in police accountability work have been attacked by the police and we know that when it happens we all have to stand up."

Hales now faces a pretrial hearing on April 25 and trial on May 21 on police "interference" charges. For the City Attorney to continue to prosecute these charges would constitute a serious miscarriage of justice and state harassment, standing jutice on its head by blaming the victim of police misconduct and brutality. It could be seen as an illegal, politically motivated abuse of process to chill political protest both against police brutality and at the upcoming DNC.

 

We demand that ALL charges be dropped immediately against Larry Hales, and that there be an immediate investigation into the police misconduct and violation of Larry Hales’ and Melissa Kleinman’s rights. 

---

What you can do:

Add your name to the petition to drop the charges, available at http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html.

Contact City Attormey David R. Fine, Judge Larry Bohning and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and tell them you want the charges against Larry Hales to be dropped.

	City Attorney David R. Fine	Judge Larry Bohning	Mayor John Hickenlooper
email:	david.fine@ denvergov.org	larry.bohning@ judicial.state.co.us	MileHighMayor@ ci.denver.co.us
phone:	(720) 865-8600	(720) 865-8610	(720) 865-9000
fax:	(720) 865-8796	(720) 865-8250	(720) 865-8787
address:	Office of the City Attorney 1437 Bannock, St., Room 353 Denver, CO 80202	Judge Larry Bohning 1437 Bannock Street Denver, CO 80202	Mayor John W. Hickenlooper City and County Building 1437 Bannock Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202

Sign the Online Petition

Send email to the Judge, the City Attorney and elected officials

DONATE NOW to help the Justice for Larry Hales campaign National Justice for Larry Hales Committee c/o Solidarity Center 55 W. 17th St. #5C NY NY 10011 www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales justice4larryhales@safewebmail.com 212.633-6646

 

 

First Article published on Axis of Logic to Free Larry Hales

Larry Hales WW photo

The campaign demanding justice for Larry Hales is gaining momentum. People around the country are outraged at the action last Nov. 30 of the Denver police, who stormed the home of Hales, a prominent anti-police brutality and political activist in Denver, as well as a central organizer for upcoming protests at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

On the false pretext of a 10:30 p.m. “parole visit” to a parolee staying with Hales, who was not at home at the time, 10 cops illegally burst into Hales’ home without permission, ransacked the apartment, handcuffed his partner to a chair, brutalized Hales, pulling out several of his dreadlocks, and arrested him on bogus charges of “interfering with the police.” Pretrial hearings that were to have occurred on Feb. 29 have been rescheduled to April 25, with the trial date rescheduled to May 21.

A National Justice for Larry Hales Committee has been formed. More than 700 people have participated in an online petition, sending more than 100,000 emails to the city attorney, judge and mayor, Denver City Council, Colorado legislature and governor, the full Colorado congressional delegation, congressional leaders, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Attorney General Mukasey, U.N. Secretary-General Ban and members of the media calling for all charges in the case to be dropped.

City councilors, lawyers and concerned clergy have faxed letters on their own letterhead to the mayor, city attorney and judge. A letter signed by unionists from the United Federation of Teachers; UNITE HERE; United Steelworkers; United Auto Workers; Communication Workers union; American Federation of Teachers; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Office and Professional Employees International Union; Maryland Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO; and others was also faxed to them.

Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner’s letter concluded, “We in Boston believe that an injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, and we are prepared to stand with Mr. Hales until he receives justice.”

USW Local 8751, the Boston School Bus Drivers Union, also sent a letter. It stated:

“The prosecution of Mr. Hales is nothing more than a blatant racist frame up. We in the labor movement believe and live the time tested union motto that AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL! We stand in 100 percent solidarity with brother Hales and will be with him until justice is done.”

Join the campaign by visiting troopsoutnow.org/larryhales and signing the online petition, faxing letters on organizational stationery, contacting others and spreading the word and putting out the information on listservs. Send copies of your messages to justice4larryhales@safewebmail.com. And if you are in the area, please plan to come and help pack the court on April 25th and May 21.