Sunday, August 17th, the Los Angeles Police Department (Southwest Division), Sanitation Department, Parking Enforcement, General Services, the Health Department, Motorcycle Officers and a Helicopter, raided Leimert Park located on the corner of 43rd Place and Crenshaw Blvd. Leimert Park is a well-known park in the black community.
Every Sunday, The Shaw Family and supporters of Jamiel's Law, come to Leimert Park from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to get signatures to put Jamiel's Law on the March 3, 2009 ballot. We have our Jamiel's Law T-shirts on and we have Jamiel's Law petitions. We started doing this June 29th and we have been there every Sunday.
We usually barbecue and give away free hot dogs, chips and sodas, as a way of saying, "Thank You", to the people supporting us. But today, the family had a party for Thomas (the younger brother of murdered victim, Jamiel Shaw, II), at a different location, so we just had drinks and chips for the kids.
Suddenly, the park was surrounded with Los Angeles Police Officers. Some in plain clothes and some in uniform. At least 7 or 8 black and white cars and a couple of police vans, if not more. They started with our family. Asking for identification and asking for our social security numbers. We showed our identification, but we refused to give our social security numbers to the Police Officer. The officer was not happy with this and said, "You know, I could give you a ticket for blocking the sidewalk".
We did have a table up against a fence, with plenty of room to walk. We told the officers, "We're here to get signatures to put Jamiel's Law on the March 3, 2009 ballot. We'll move our table to the inside of the fence". He said we couldn't do that. His words were, "you can't get signatures in a public park". So we said, "we'll talk to people as they walk by". According to the same officer, "You can only get signatures going door to door"!
One of the officers refused to give us his business card. However, another officer did hand us his card and he told us, "Many officers do support what you all are doing, but this is very political. 'They', are trying to shut you guys down. I hope you get the signatures you need". A third officer told us this raid was planned a week ago. He said, "We're just following orders, it's not us".
Then the Health Department walks up and tells us that we cannot give away water, soda and chips without a permit. We had about 4, 6 packs of water and sodas and small bags of chips. They told us, "load it up". Then the trash truck shows up ready to haul everything away. If that wasn't enough, the helicopter comes and hovers over the area. You would think we were criminals.
In addition to all of this, the City will not open the restrooms in the public park. It's true! They lock us out. We're forced to leave the park and go use the restrooms at one of the fast food restaurants. We have to fight and complain just to get the City to open the restrooms and we're still being ignored. Yet the City Council members bend over backwards to approve a restroom facility for day laborers at Home Depot.
We're shocked by all of this! The first time they raided the park I wasn't able to get pictures. I forgot the camera at home and forgot that I have a camera on my cell phone. Although I was able to get pictures after all, because did I mention two hours later they raided the park again?!
I wonder how much did all of this cost the City of Angels?
(Jamiel Shaw was shot to death by an illegal who was released from prison 24 hours before. The illegal was in prison because of a gun charge. Jamiel's mother was in Iraq serving in our military.)
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