LUMPENPROLETARIAT—Shut ’em down…

Messina

 

“Shut ‘Em Down” (1991) by Public Enemy

HARD KNOCK RADIO—[8 JUL 2016]  Davey D covers protests of police violence in Oakland and Hard Knock Correspondent Greg Bridges speaks with Brother Turha and Mama Ayanna about the upcoming State Of Black Oakland, (SOBO) People’s Assembly 2016. Later we speak with Shawn Wayans about the state of comedy and his upcoming performance at Yoshis in Oakland, Ca.

Listen here.

Learn more at HARD KNOCK RADIO.

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[Working draft transcript of actual radio broadcast by Messina for Lumpenproletariat and Hard Knock Radio]

HARD KNOCK RADIO—[8 JUL 2016]  “Wussup, fam.  You are tuned to Hard Knock on the Pacifica Network.  Up next, on the programme, we head to the streets of Oakland, where protests took place last night in response to the murders of black men by law enforcement in America.  And, later on, we look at the state of Black Oakland.  All this and more up ahead, so keep it locked.”  (c. 1:26)

[KPFA News Headlines (read by Mark Mericle)]

MARK MERICLE:  “I’m Mark Mericle with KPFA News Headlines.

“Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said this evening that the black man suspected of opening fire in a sniper attack, in which five police officers were slain at a protest decrying police shootings of black men last night had acted alone. [1] Texas governor Greg Abbott said at the same news conference, however, that it remained important to determine whether there were any other co-conspirators in the attack launched by 25-year-old U.S. Military veteran Micah Johnson.

“Dallas Police say the slain suspect had bomb-making materials, ballistic vets, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics at his home.  They also say that people that they interviewed described Micah Johnson as a loner.

“The department also said in a statement today that detectives have interviewed more than 200 members of law enforcement, and that it appears at least twelve police officers fired their weapons when someone opened fire on police last night.  It happened during a demonstration to protest the recent killings of African-American men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota.  Police killed Johnson using a robot-delivered bomb after negotiations following a shootout failed.  They say detectives are in the process of analysing information contained in the suspect’s journal.  (c. 2:55)

“A class of Los Angeles Police recruits graduated just hours after the killings of the five Dallas police officers last night.  Police Chief Charlie Beck told the graduates they had joined the profession at a very difficult crossroads.

“A group of African-American men led by Snoop Dogg and The Game marched to Police Headquarters and watched the ceremony.  Snoop Dogg told reporters they came to reintroduce their community to police and open a dialogue.  (c. 3:27)  [SNIP]

[NAACP responded, including Cornell William Brooks]

[calls for ending the police practice of racial profiling]

[SNIP]

[End of KPFA News Headlines]  (c. 6:03)

[Sound from the Oakland street protests]

PROTEST LEADER:  “If we don’t get no justice!”

PROTESTORS/ENGAGED CITIZENRY:  “We don’t get no peace!”

[protest chants continue in the background, as a protestor is interviewed]

DAVEY D:  “You wanna tell everybody what’s goin’ on here?”

MALE PROTESTOR:  “Well, finally, a lot of people in Oakland have gotten fed up.  And we have enough people mobilised to where we have taken back our streets in the name of the people.”

DAVEY D:  “Describe to people what’s going on here, right now.”

MALE PROTESTOR:  “Well, this is a long-time Oakland tradition.  It’s really nice to see how a lot of the young folks, new folks to Oakland, have joined in with us.  But this is an outpouring of community rage.”

DAVEY D:  “And what’s going on here, though?”

MALE PROTESTOR:  “Well, we’re outside.  We have a long history of police abusing our community.  We’ve had a series, now, of police chiefs and no leadership from the city.  So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to demand our change by taking to the streets.”

DAVEY D:  “And what is happening is both sides of the freeway on the I-80 freeway, as it goes to San Francisco and the change, that takes you over to 980, is shut down.”

MALE PROTESTOR:  “Yes!  And, obviously, the police, at this point, don’t know how to do their job anymore.  This was a quick walk down from the police station.  No police were here to stop this.  And, now, we have free run of one of the major arteries in the Bay Area.”  (c. 8:05)

DAVEY D:  “What do you think it’s gonna take to change things?  I mean today, earlier this morning, I called Nancy Pelosi‘s office.  We called John Lewis‘ office.  We called the House Whip, or the, you know, Democratic Whip James Clyburn, called the Congressional Black Caucus.  Colin Kaepernick and Beyonce had made statements out before any of them did.  They referred me to their website talking about gun violence.  But, but nothing about this.

“With Nancy Pelosi‘s office I pointed out that they had a statement about Kate Steinle, the young woman who was killed by the undocumented guy the next day.

“What do we make of this when we see these types of killings take place and there’s not sit-ins or nothing?” [2]

MALE PROTESTOR:  “It’s why a lot of people say now that Black Lives Matter because it’s, again, it’s our history’s pattern of not valuing our lives.  I mean even our great Congresswoman Barbara Lee posted a photo of her with Danny Glover saying Black Lives Matter.  Well, that’s great.  But I want them to do something real and tangible.”

DAVEY D:  “Right.  You can make a law.”  (c. 9:18)

MALE PROTESTOR:  “Yeah.  [SNIP]

[SNIP]  (c. 59:59)

Learn more at HARD KNOCK RADIO.

[This transcript will be expanded as time constraints, and/or demand or resources, allow.]

***

[1] Also see, “Micah Xavier Johnson: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know”, by Tom Cleary, Heavy, 8 JUL 2016.

UPDATE [9 JUL 2016]  Also see, “Alleged Dallas Shooter Micah Johnson Was ‘Normal’ Kid From Middle-Class Neighborhood,” by Jay Newton-Small, Time, 9 JUL 2016.

[2]  This is a reference to the recent sit-ins by congress members to draw attention to generalised gun violence, whilst largely ignoring the more pressing dangers of extrajudicial killings by police with impunity.

***

[12 JUL 2016]

[Last modified 14:37 PDT  12 JUL 2016]

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