Quentin Tarantino joins in reading the Names of victims of Police murder for #RiseUpOctober

Film Director Quentin Tarantino joined #RiseUpOctober yesterday in Times Square with the families of those who’ve been murdered by police all over the U.S. QT was reading the names of James V Spegnesi, a 45 yr old Nature Conservationist in CT who was shot in the chest by an off-duty cop hunting illegally, 11/20/1998 and Freddie Gray Jr. “Say His Name, Freddie Gray Jr,” the 25 yr old man from Baltimore who, on 4/19/14 was arrested for making eye contact w police then running. Freddie was “kicked, beaten, tazed, thrown into a police van while handcuffed. When Freddie was taken out his spinal cord was 80% severed. His death ruled a homicide. The 6 cops were indicted and awaiting trial”.

Play write Eve Ensler and her partner Tony were one of the first to read names of victims,, “Rise Up”, yells Eve, “we honor all the people’s lives that we read, we hold them in our hearts, we remember them and we read their names in the hope and resistance that these murders no longer continue”. “Calvin Moore, Eve spoke out, reading the first name, 18 yr old black teen Kilby Correctional Facility, AL. 2/21/1996 Calvin was allowed to die after losing 56 lbs in one month, being left without medical care while in custody”.

Nicholas Heyward Jr, a regular participant with #RiseUpOctober, holding a pic of his son Nicholas Jr. who was killed 9/27/1994 in the stairwell where he lived while playing with brightly orange colored toy guns. “When Nicholas Jr seen the officer he dropped the plastic toy gun and said, “we’re only playn, we’re only playn’, the rookie housing cop from PSA 1 Brooklyn shot and killed Nicholas”.

Nicholas Heyward Sr. “We talking about innocent lives being taken constantly and are never being held accountable for the crimes they committed”. The aunt of Akai Gurley, Hertencia Petersen, “I’m standing ehre in proxy of Akai’s parents, she said. “He was a Mama’s boy, he loved his mother. Akai did nothing wrong except to decide to take a flight of stairs. You’re not committing any crime.” “My sister has a deep hole in her heart that cannot be replaced, cannot be healed, she’s broken until she leaves this earth”.

Grandmother of Alyana Stanley-Jones, “Alyana, today is now 13 years old. We still celebrate her Birthday every year. Picturing her murder, because I watched every second of it. As soon as Joseph Wheatly entered my home he automatically shot Alyana on the top of her head. He accused me of grabbing his gun. Joseph Weekly told about 4 different stories. He thought she was a pile of dirty clothes. Why the hell would you shoot a pile of dirty clothes?” “I watched the light -life leave out of my grand baby’s eyes”, said Mertilla Jones then said “I can’t do this” and was supported by Hertencia Petersen to continue.

Former Black Panther and Prof at Columbia University Jamal Joseph with the Reverend Phelps, formerly of the Riverside Church. “Say his name, Amir Brooks,” said Jamal, “a 17 yr old black man, Washington, DC, Monday 8/4/2015 Amir was riding a dirt bike on the street when he was chased by a county cop. struck a tree and died of his injuries”. Rev Phelps, “Say His Name, Roshad McIntosh”, he yelled into the mic to the small crowd and tourists within ear shot of the bleachers at Times Sq. 19 yr old black teen in Chicago, 8/24/2014. Roshad was shot in the chest with his Hands UP, Phelps emphasized, then raising his arms up saying, “Hands up, Don’t shoot”.

Table for Revolution books, one of the organizers of the event.

A shot of a a picture of the street where Mike Brown lay for 4 hours from an enclosed circle that was present at Times Square.

Cadine Williams holding a picture of her brother O’Shaine Evans yelling with valid anger to the crowd, “How dare you keep on asking these same people that’s been oppressing us for years for something, you have to take it! Quit puttn your hands up and say don’t shoot, put your fist up and fight back, FIGHT BACK PEOPLE! Then introduced her brother to the crowd. O’Shaine would have given you the shirt off his back. 10/7/2014 sitting in his mother’s car, SF police say his friends broke into a car and ran back to is car. When they got to his car the cops claimed O’Shaine pulled an UNloaded gun on them, BULL SHIT”, Cadine yelled. “How the hell do the police investigate the police. Keep that cause I don’t want it! My brother did not pull no gun on an officer, my brother didn’t have No gun Period. You Killed him! You shot him in his head! Shot him in his heart, You Took his life! Senseless and you continue to do it, Why? Because the system continues to back you!”

Shot of Quentin Tarantino in the crowd awaiting his turn to read the names of those killed by police.

Brother of David Sal Silva telling the people the story of what happened to his brother.

Quentin Tarantino & Gina Belafonte reading the names of Freddie Gray, James V. Spragnesi Jr. and a 17 month old baby by her mother’s fiance’ cop boyfriend.

Quentin Tarantino clapping with the crowd after reading the names of the few unarmed people murdered by police across the United States.

Tracy Martin,, father of Trayvon Martin holding sign of his son with Times Square and the sun behind him on a warm Oct 22nd 2015 for #RiseUpOctober

Relative of Emmett Till,, murdered by police in Mississippi back in August 28th of 1955 by 2 white supremists. Emmett was unrecognizable after being beaten to death with one of his eyes gouged out then shot him in the head because he flirted with a white women. His body was disposed of in the Tallahatchie River. It was weighed down with a 70-pound cotton gin fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His body was found 3 day’s later.

Quentin Tarantino joins in reading the Names of victims of Police murder for #RiseUpOctober

Author: Cat April Watters

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