New Report Shows Feds Targeted BLM Protesters to Disrupt the Movement, Racial Disproportionality Found: Converge Interview to Discuss 8/23/2021
On October 27th, 2020 Sade’ was interviewed by Converge Media and discussed the heightened federal law enforcement interest in protest cases & escalated prosecutions. The comments were shot down by KC Prosecutor Dan Satterberg who claimed the feds weren’t targeting protesters.
On August 16th, 2021 the Guardian published an article citing a 60 page in depth case analysis report by City University of New York, & Movement 4 Black Lives, that uncovered racial disproportionality, escalated charges, and other issues in cases filed by the Federal Government against BLM Movement protesters during the 2020 uprising. The report found the Federal government was once again wielding its power to crush disrupt the Black liberation movement. The article was titled: ‘US targeted Black Lives Matter activists in bid to disrupt movement, report finds. Coalition of civil rights groups documents federal prosecutions of activists after the murder of George Floyd last year’ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/19/black-lives-matter-policing-prosecutions-race-goverment?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=edit_2221&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1629369080
NPR published an article highlighting the same report with the headline: ‘Feds Deliberately Targeted BLM Protesters To Disrupt The Movement, A Report Says’: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/20/1029625793/black-lives-matter-protesters-targeted?utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
The report concluded the Federal Government, acting under orders from the Trump Administration, expanded jurisdiction to file cases against BLM Movement protesters, to quell any dissent. The most targeted group was Black men. This meant longer sentences & harsher penalties. 92.6% of the cases the Feds filed had State level equivalences, yet they chose to take the cases federal. Seattle is no exception to the targeting. Seattle is listed as an impacted city in the report. Not only are fed prosecutions happening but State level charges that wouldn’t have existed had the accused persons not been BLM protesters were filed as well. The reports also found "In 88% of the cases, federal penalties were clearly harsher than those of the equivalent State statutes, w/ higher sentencing maximums &, if applicable, mins."
On August 23, 2021, Sade’ appeared on Converge to address the report and discuss impact. Link to Interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIqhWPX6mPY
Here is the link to the twitter thread with further breakdown: https://twitter.com/Sadenochill/status/1428763205938020358?s=20
