What about White America vs everyone else crime?

So here we go, the excuses and victim blaming has begun and we hear it routinely: “what about black on black crime?” What about white on white crime or Asian on Asian crime or Arab on Arab crime…if everyone is segregated then what choice does one have? Over 80% of crime is intraracial. Would it make you happier if there was more interracial crime? Is that the goal? Most white people need to face the facts. Don’t get me wrong most is not all. A good amount of white people marched with us and sympathize with us and understand they have white privileges that us people of color don’t get to enjoy. But honestly Who’s resume would get looked at first by white America? Laquisha Johnson, Mohammad Abdullah or Michael Smith? Laquisha and Mohammad might have more experience but 9 out of 10 time Michael is getting that job. You say “this is bullshit this does not happen!” Yes, white America, it does not happen to you so how the hell would you know? Driving while black they think that shit is fake, they say stop speeding. Yes, white America, because you only get pulled over for speeding, your skin isn’t illegal so as long as you don’t speed you will be just fine. Black skin, my brown skin & face or when they run that license plate my weird ISIS looking name gets me and other people of color pulled over constantly. Then once they pull us over for the hell of it and they find nothing, they still issue some kind of ticket, usually 3 to 4 of them. Now we have to pay all this extra money as a “person of color tax”. White America is basically telling us, “listen we invaded this land and killed off the natives, we chained black people up shipped them all here and made them and their progeny slaves for the rest of their lives, and we did all of that FOR you, so you have to pay this extra money in traffic fees.” Am I lying anyone? Last week an Arab was handcuffed in a hotel and identified as part of ISIS because he was simply speaking Arabic. Black & brown bodies constantly litter our timelines, yet when a tragedy in Dallas happens to police we are supposed to be silent at noon and the nation grieves and cries. Flags go down to half-staff. Funerals are televised. Why did white America not grieve when Alton Sterling was killed in cold blood? Before we could even find out what actually happened his criminal record was already on blast everywhere. Or when other innocent lives from all races get killed by the people who we pay to protect and serve us?

Why didn’t white America grieve during Operation Protective Edge, where in 30 days 2200 Palestinian civilians (550 of which were children by the way) were killed by Israeli War planes, that we the American tax payers pay for and supply for. I’m not even going to bring up the massacre in Jenin or the massacres still happening in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. I’m already emotional as it is. What’s the common denominator in all that? White America. Because all those massacres that are and were committed is all with US weapons. Where did ISIS, Israel, and all the rebel factions in Syria & Iraq get their weapons? From the USA with our tax money, the American tax payer is funding massacres all over the world. And who truly runs America? It’s white America along with the rich. We got homeless people in the streets and millions living in the dark in the grips of addiction, yet we spend all our tax money on war and death.

We need a revolution my fellow Americas? How do we want to be remembered? As the generation who kept the blind eye blind? Or will we finally own up to our mistakes collectively then fix them collectively. If we don’t soon this polarization of America will continue and history tells us that ideas can always rise to fruition. Either there is going to be war or peace, but just because we are not at war does not mean we are at peace. But if enough people are willing to sacrifice for that idea that we can fix our problems however hard or however great they may be we must have faith that it can be done. Nothing important in life is easy. It’s not going to be easy whatsoever. But we can’t keep turning the blind eye, time for talk is over. I’m from Saint Louis or what people call Ferguson now, we have a saying here, “We are from the show me state so show me, don’t talk about it BE ABOUT IT.” One person can change the world and that person can be YOU don’t cut yourself short. Rise up, do what needs to be done, then when it’s all said and done you will look in the mirror and see a better you.

Tragedy after tragedy with no end in sight

My thoughts on this recent tragedy in Dallas are these…and please don’t judge me harshly: All loss of life is messed up. We have protested, marched, yelled, written thousands of articles, millions of tweets and posts, and some even rioted for years and nothing changed. What did they think was going to happen? Did they think that people are going to just do the same thing over and over and expect different results? No – so a man who may be mentally disturbed or traumatized took action into his own hands.

I say traumatized because who wouldn’t be traumatized after watching these videos of black bodies being executed by police? If I were him, I would wake up and watch it and it would be the first thing I saw and my blood would be boiling all day. I’m Palestinian. When I see dead Palestinian children, I see people that look like my family, and I’m not ashamed to say that I always bust down crying. So I know exactly how a black man or woman feels when they see people that resemble their family members getting executed by police in cold blood.

In my dreams I’ve been hearing Alton Sterling’s child sobbing, or Phillando Castille’s wife or girlfriend hollering in grief over her beloved’s murder. So police and police sympathizers, you now know how it feels to lose loved ones in cold blood. You now fear for your safety like we fear for our safety from you every day.

When I walk out the door in the morning, I’m not worried about a gangster robbing me. I’m worried about the police throwing me in a cage, or worse, hurting me on a constant basis. I don’t do nothing illegal but I’m still scared. Millions of people of color are in a constant state of fear because our skin is illegal. You can say you’re not racist at all, but if you’re scared of a big black man for no reason, then you are racist. Even if you don’t think of it that way, it is a subconscious racism, a racism that’s been wired into you since childbirth. The media and mainstream television always portray all people of color in a sinister fashion, so subconscious racism is rampant. There is no reason to fear big black men. They bleed red, they hurt like us, they are human like us. Do not fall for the bullshit: we pay the police from our tax money to protect and serve us and they don’t protect and serve everyone, and they certainly don’t protect and serve people of color.

The rest of this is a message directed to every police officer. You must be the ones who end this cycle of killing, violence, and racism within your departments. If you’re a good cop, then it’s your duty to weed out the bad ones. If you have intelligence, then you know who in your department is a coward or liar – and a coward and a liar with a gun and a badge is a recipe for disaster. You as police officers should know who of your comrades are racist or in it for the thrill. All of these qualities are not qualities that police officers should have whatsoever. These types of people have no business being police officers. Give us a reason to respect the police and we will, but right now you are ruling by fear and intimidation. The last time Americans were ruled by fear and intimidation was a little bit before 1776 and our nation was born out of a revolution. Is that what you want? A civil war? Millions will die. Cocky police officers may like, “Come on, let’s go to war”…but I bet you they’ve never seen war before. I have seen it firsthand and it’s utterly horrible, and it’s the last thing we as a nation need. But if you don’t change your ways, the second American Revolution will happen and the people will win like we always will win. Do you think the army and marines care about the police or a corrupt government? No, the army will come to the side of the people. So don’t make the people do this: fix your departments, work with your communities, get rid of the bad elements, and do what you have to do to prevent this. Because if you don’t, it’s inevitable. I am not making a threat, only an observation. I want us to come together: police and community working together to fix the problems in our communities. This “us verse them” shit is costing us too much blood on both sides.

A soldier told be this earlier and it’s basically the quote is nothing but truth United we live, divided, we die! - Quote by: Sarah Cox

Open letter to Hillary Clinton by Bassem Masri

For the last eleven months, the movement of our generation that manifested itself in Ferguson, Missouri over the sudden death of Mike Brown has also spread nationwide. Because Black people are being murdered by police or vigilantes on a daily basis,there are also way more like Rekia Boyd in Chicago, Freddie Gray in Baltimore and to the horrific bloodbath in Charleston, racially charged violence has dominated the national mainstream headlines,and social media has relentlessly discussed the topic for almost a year.

You would think that the top Ddemocratic Party front-runner, Hillary Clinton, would have listened closer to the voices and paid more attention to this revolution. But she is consistently demonstrating that she does not comprehend the core issue at hand But it seems she just did not care at all. Today, she made a statement in a Black church in St. Louis, less than a week after the Charleston massacre, saying “All Lives Matter”. Now let me clear things up for you, Ms. Clinton and everyone else that does not understand the concept of Black Lives Matter - All lives do NOT matter because Black lives don’t matter.

When Dante Servin can walk free after shooting unarmed Rekia Boyd in the head because he didn’t like how much noise her friends were making as they walked to the store, Black lives don’t matter. When Michael Brelo can walk free after murdering Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in a hail of 49 gun shots, 15 of which he shot through their windshield after Brelo jumped on their car hood, all because the car backfired, Black lives don’t matter. When police give Dylan Roof a bullet proof vest, a meal at Burger King and a private plane escort back to Charleston after slaughtering 9 people in the sanctuary of church, Black lives don’t matter. When Black lives start to matter, then all lives will truly matter. If Hillary Clinton had paid more attention to the largest movement of our time, she would have understood this issue and she would not have made those comments. It’s obvious Mrs. Clinton doesn’t get it and has not been shrugging it off.

When white supremacists showed up and hosted a pro police rally in front of the Ferguson Police Department, their main chant was “All Lives matter”. I labeled them white supremacists because of the racial slurs thrown at me, and my comrades, when we were passing through. It was on Twitter because the Rracist trolls continuously use “All Lives Matter” on Twitter to basically and insinuate that there is no problem. Meanwhile the Black Llives Matter movement is repeatedly condemned in all ways by media and politicians continually calling Peaceful protesters and clergy looters, race baiters and rioters when we did nothing of the sort. We were assaulted, arrested, and humiliated by the racist Ferguson Police Department. Which has been corroborated by the Department of Justice report on Ferguson.

This means that the core issue raised by the Black Lives Matter movement has fallen onto deaf ears to those in power. They shrugged us off as if everything we are some kind of joke. We started a conversation about police brutality and accountability for officers that has had little to no progress because the state does not want to be held accountable.

This conversation started on the streets of Ferguson – many expected Mrs. Clinton to address the issues where the movement started. State Rep. Courtney Curtis tweeted his disappointment that Clinton did not go far enough, tweeting: “Going to Florissant isn’t the same as going to #ferguson. Close, but no cigar”. He also added, “Don’t follow the GovJayNixon playbook, he went to Florissant and you see how that worked out,” in response to the Clinton camp’s invitation to her speech.

If Clinton wishes to win the DNC over Senator Bernie Sanders, she really needs to win over the black voters. Ignoring the basic elements in the largest movement since the Civil Rights era is not a great way to do that. The fact is the Black Lives Matter movement is a political talking point. The protesters in Ferguson and all over America have demanded the conversation about police brutality and institutional racism be addressed on the national stage. Anyone hoping for the support of this powerful movement needs to come over into Ferguson, MO and face the issues head on. Saying Black Lives Matter will not cost a candidate votes – it will win them. Rep. Courtney Curtis said it best, “You want to be President? Go to #Ferguson.”

Mrs. Clinton, you have alienated yourself from the national movement that has mobilized all over the nation. The Movement has become increasingly more politicized over the last eleven months. We will be voting in droves this next election season and, and these voters are young passionate voters that want their voice heard. We will be voting for candidates that support the Black Lives Matter issue along with the reformation of the prison industrial complex. Although you Clinton haves previously spoken out about the “era of mass incarceration” we currently live in before, you must do better to show you comprehend the problem and demonstrate how you will reconcile it through action it should remain a constant talking point.

New back up account

Created my back up Twitter while I'm in Twitter jail @masri_bassem

Interview with Anonymous

New article I just dropped via Alternet.org on how the Ferguson 2 Palestine solidarity manifested and how there is so many similarities in both struggles

Calling out pine lawn police

New blog post regarding Ledarius Williams death at the hands of STL Police

New article just put out with Hands Up United

OpReclaimMLK Success but not done yet!!

From the get go, protesters were ridiculed as soon as we showed up at the Martin Luther King Day march in Ferguson. Before it started, a guy spoke into the megaphone, “This is a freedom march. We are here to celebrate MLK day. I recognize Mike Brown. I recognize Mike Brown and MLK fought for justice for everybody. But I led the first ‘Hands up don't shoot’ march. We want to keep it peaceful. If you get out of hand, we will let you know. " Another man then spoke saying, "I negotiated with Chief Jackson to get Mike Brown’s body out of the street. I protested at the first protest with the family but we here to celebrate MLK’s birthday. We here to keep it organized and peaceful. I'm the head of the Dr. Martin Luther King commission. If you got a problem, you come ask me." Mike Brown’s body lay in the street for four and a half hours on August 9, 2014. That must have been the worst negotiation of all time. Obviously, these men have been misinformed about the Ferguson movement because, like Martin Luther king Jr., we are fighting for justice for all. You need only to watch the local news to see they have been on a mission to discredit protesters and the movement since day one. They have demonized our whole community and movement over the acts of a few. We all know the criminal element in this city. The problem was the militarized response on peaceful protesters while they allowed businesses to burn and criminals to loot. The movement stands for human rights, is against police brutality and the guilty corrupt system that has forced oppression on us and generations before us. for hundreds of years. The peaceful movement that has been protesting every single day since August 09. 2014. It's now January. 21 2015. Still no changes to legislation by these same politicians and organizations who say they represent us. A little background on the Martin Luther King Jr. state celebration commission. It consists of nineteen members who were appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon - the top of the food chain. The man that signs off on our oppression here in Ferguson and the rest of Missouri. Before Dr. Martin Luther King died in 1968, he planned ‘The Poor People's Campaign’ which was an effort to gain economic justice for poor people in the United States. Before his work could be completed, he was assassinated. His death was a major blow to that movement. Paying homage to MLK, honoring his legacy, is that we help those less fortunate. Those organizers said we "hijacked" the march when we split from the “official” march to the Rev Larry Rice Homeless Shelter. We chose to protest the closure of the shelter by city officials in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King. This year, people all across America set out to reclaim MLK. If those men really wanted to honor the Reverend’s legacy, they would have organized that themselves. But, they work for the Governor and the Governor wants it closed. It turned out that the whole march followed us there. People follow strength, not puppets on strings. We did our tribute and chanted "Homeless lives Matter" so loud all of downtown Saint Louis could hear us. If that is not Reclaiming MLK, I don't know what is. I know he was proudly smiling down on us as we honored his attempt to speak for those who have no voice. Freedom and justice for ALL is what Ferguson is all about – despite what the mainstream media, and online trolls want you to believe. Not violence but militant, nonviolent, civil disobedience that is meant to shake the halls of power into surrendering to the will of the people. We the people. After we left the shelter, we marched to Harris Stowe College. We planned to shut down the speeches they were holding. Politicians (the same ones trying to close the shelter) were speaking, along with the NAACP National Action Network, and the Urban League. All of these organizations are guilty of collaborating with the guilty system. "The NAACP were the ones who told us to go back in the house after Mike Brown got killed," said Torry Russell on stage at the Harris Stowe event. They asked those of us in Ferguson to bow down to police. They co-opted the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and turned it into a political forum to rally votes for candidates. Politicians, that are explicit in our oppression, were rallying votes in the name of the Reverend. It was disgraceful and had to be shut down. While the country sustains a national movement against police brutality and systematic oppression, that Ferguson started, they believed they can fool us into rallying votes for the same politicians that's were complicit in the corruption going on in Missouri. We couldn’t ignore that hypocrisy. Despite what you may believe, there really is a strategy to what we do we have in place. Unfortunately, the Harris Stowe students took it the wrong way. To those students: We are fighting for you and your kids so that you can continue your schoolwork. We meant no disrespect to you. All over your campus, students were spewing the lies that online trolls spew daily. Most Ferguson protesters are students. Some are even Harris Stowe students and 85% of Ferguson protesters are working. We have been protesting since August 9th, 2014. If you have been paying attention, you would know we are peaceful protesters. We were miles away getting tear gassed while West Florissant was burning down. The movement is a peaceful one. Protesting is not meant to make people comfortable. We live in a new Era. It is not 1968 and we must be more radical and unified in our quest for freedom. Ferguson protesters have not hurt a single officer but they have arrested, gassed, shot, and killed more of our youth since August 9th. Some Saint Louis residents and those students have listened to the lies the Mainstream Media has been spewing and are totally misled about what we do. It's your duty to be involved within your community and if you are misinformed about the Ferguson movement, you must not give a damn about your community. Because you obviously stayed at home when we have been out resisting a corrupt and evil system since August. We’re trying to bring a change to the community, the nation, and the world. The whole purpose of that action was to Reclaim MLK Day. Those organizers say that we "hijacked" their march. They are absolutely correct and our mission was accomplished. If they want to make a difference with us and gain respect - Come resist with us. Come to the trenches of the revolution and help bring about a change like the Reverend did but could not finish. He was a man of revolution and action. We, the Ferguson protesters, we are MLK.

We ain't scared of your badge. We ain't scared your guns. We ain’t scared of your jails. American Revolution 2.0 is here.

First and foremost, fuck the system and all its keepers. They try to suppress any voice that challenges them. The system has truly lost its purpose. The government’s system of oppression has been perfected, and they will never change. It’s always the same message: Comply or be intimidated with handcuffs and a cage. If that does not work then "justified force” is used to quell any sort of resistance. But this won't bring peace this just makes us just angrier and more determined. Every second I spend caged up adds more fuel to the fire. In the St. Louis County “Justice” Center I saw people that have been caged up for weeks FOR MEASLEY TRAFFIC TICKETS. When was the last time you heard of a police officer stopping a violent crime in progress? The police ruin people's lives for money. Citizens down on their luck lose their home, cars, jobs, all because they can't pay the extortion that is forced upon them. Debtors prison is unconstitutional and a horrific experience for anybody that is caught in the cycle. Constantly going in and out of a cage. Never knowing when your whole world will come crashing down. Having to start your life over because you had to do a month in jail for traffic tickets and lose everything that you own. Here in St. Louis there is no time served for traffic tickets so you do all the time in jail and then still have to pay the fines. People that commit violent crimes are released when they’ve paid their debt, but traffic tickets in St. Louis are different. After doing time in jail you still have to pay the tickets. If you don't pay the whole process repeats itself over do a month in jail until the judge decides to release you. The police prey upon minorities and poor people of all color all for the dollar. The police are a criminal enterprise that only serves and protects itself. The judges who perpetrate and enable this oppression must be held accountable. They don't follow the laws they oversee and they’re shitting on the constitution. My take is that they are traitors to this country, treasonous cowards who use the law to hold down a certain demographic of people. They must be disbarred and humiliated to set a precedent for the future. This will no longer be tolerated. We will start overseeing court proceedings and documenting the injustices that happen on a daily basis. New Year's Eve after I was done protesting two detectives jumped out on me and informed me that I had a warrant for my arrest at Hazelwood PD. They told me that somebody called the police and told them that someone was with me and that person had a weapon, so the detectives had probable cause to arrest me. While in custody the arresting officers decided they wanted to debate. They used everything they could to justify the murders perpetrated by STLPD. One thing they couldn't answer: WHY DID THE COPS CONTINUE TO FIRE BULLETS INTO KAJIEME POWELL AFTER HE HIT THE GROUND? They had no witty comebacks for that so they changed the subject basically inferring that blue lives matter above all else. Hypocrites. Then while I was asleep they crowded around my cell watching me sleep talking shit about my politics. They kept mentioning Hamas this Hamas that. Why should I denounce the only defense my people in Gaza have against genocide? Because the United States government says something doesn't make it correct. A moral system won't enable genocide anywhere against anybody, the moral police of our world have the most blood on its hands It's the oxymoron of the century. Our justice system is supposed to be objective not oppressive but the whole damn system is guilty as all hell. The people will have final say this time. We will from now on dictate how our communities are policed. This recent arrest shows me that 90% of the police force needs replacing immediately. We need to properly train and vet people that become police officers. The authority of the badge is a weapon, and a free pass to kill anyone is very dangerous in the wrong hands. So their response to this unrest within the civilian population is to cage us up and shit on us every chance they get. They work for us. What part of ‘public servant’ don't they understand? We have garnered enough support and we made this issue a national conversation. Folks are tired and have taken to the streets. Those unable to make it to a protest support us online and it’s a massive topic everywhere but where it matters and that is in the hands of the politicians. They have done NOTHING, just spewing lies, and they think that we will forget all the stuff they have done. They’re just twiddling their thumbs and hoping we go away. This is unacceptable and shows us they have no intention of changing at all. But I tell you what: St. Louis will be free of this forced occupation of our communities. The revolution isn't going to fail because they are still MURDERING people all the while demonizing the people who are standing up to the tyranny put in place by greedy oligarchs. We are not against police we are against police brutality. We are not against white people we are against white supremacy. They criticize me and others for showing solidarity with my brother Josh, but it's okay for them to defend murdering cops. The police are traitors who have spit on the Constitution and all it stands for. We the people will dictate how justice is served, not money-hungry politicians. People’s lives is NOT a business, People's livelihood is NOT a business. Where does this money go? It's a racket taking advantage of citizens who are helpless against them. Disenfranchisement is horrible being caught up in this trap taking our money constantly only to contribute more to our oppression. Those lucky to still have a voice will soon realize that it has no bearing at all on this so-called democracy. We been protesting now for over 160 days now and not a lick has changed NOTHING. Government inaction at its finest, so what do we do with these treasonous rogue agents? How do we clean up our streets from these monsters? The rift is getting bigger the resentment on both sides getting deeper. But what exactly have we done to the police? We’re just asking them to do what they’re supposed to do. If you enforce the law you need to follow it, and be held accountable when you break the law. If the founding fathers were alive today another American Revolution would be underway. The damage they have done cannot be repaired, it can't be undone. All we can try and do is damage control. Contain the monster that was unleashed on our communities. We must take all take a stand together, and tell them that no more will we be subjugated to their oppression. And we must tell them with one voice: No more! No more killer cops. No more predatory policing. When you clean house you do it from top to bottom that's how it works so we must first start at the top of the food chain and work our way down this only way we are going to truly win this. We must start moving forward, They know we have shed our fear of them. The system is working overtime to instill that fear in us once again, but not anymore. Not this time. We in Ferguson are willing to go as far as necessary, we're not gonna move backward we gonna move forward. Since August 9th we have shed a light on state-sanctioned murder. You would think they would ease up with the attention they are getting. But the murders are still being perpetrated at an alarming rate. Unarmed men of color are shot dead in the street every 28 hours by the force that is sworn to protect them. This is an abomination and any civilized country would halt this systematic genocide of its own citizens. But this government has still to address a single issue all the while the death toll is increasing dramatically. This goes to show that this has been a reoccurring theme that has been going on for a long time. It's embedded into society to obey the system and its keepers when there is no reason to obey them. In order for them to get obedience they must also obey us, it's a mutual thing. But all they want is for us to comply or face the consequences. Well we are asking the same thing it's now time for them to comply with our demands. Enough is enough. People can and will overcome all tyranny in America. We can't and won't back down. If we do it proves that it's okay to gun down young men and women of color, and it certainly is not okay. We in it for the long haul. We can't be appeased nor pacified until real change is implemented. Until then it's all hands on deck. American Revolution 2.0 is here and we will take our country back from those who have ruined it.

Police officers lives are NOT more important than Citizens

That invisible line was drawn for citizens a long time ago it was breed into us systematically. Ferguson crossed and removed that line, now the system is in full defense mode trying to draw that line again. Police in Ferguson have essentially stopped policing and are using our resources to silence us. It's no secret at this moment that it's open season for criminals to get away with anything. Police are allowing criminals to break the law in order to fear monger the public into giving them more power. New York has its own army of 50,000 officers that just declared war on the citizens they are sworn to protect. The recent spurt of violence aimed at police officers is a result of a certain person taking matters into his own hands. Many things might be attributed to why this happened, and people are shifting blame instead of addressing root problems. No doubt that tensions are extremely high, and both sides aren't willing to be silenced. Only difference is we aren't forcing them to be silent, they remain silent while trying to force us to be silent as well. The police have the luxury of having the system and its resources backing them. They honestly believe that the lives of police officers matter more than the lives of civilians. The legal system makes it so random public executions are allowed to happen, just to keep citizens in check. Justifying those executions of citizens by insulting intimidating and demonizing the victims of the system’s "finest." At what point does “national security” trump the simplest of our constitutional rights? Different people have different views on police brutality, it depends on who you are and where you live and that's real. People who haven't had much contact with the system watch it on TV and they are all shows that glorify the system and its keepers. Propaganda mixed in with entertainment, they make it look like they can't do anything wrong. Only showing when they catch people, they don't broadcast that they don't actually solve crimes at all. Entertainment that molds people's minds into obedience, people don't even know that they are being brainwashed. The whole way of life it seems is by design, anyone challenging the status quo gets the label of the decade. Last decade was “communist” now it's “terrorist.” React to the oppression and be ready to be oppressed even more. This idea of the USA is slowly eroding, and reality that this is a police state is settling in. Some are in denial and action against it or for it depends what side of the line you’re on. Contributing to their neighbors’ oppression for a lousy paycheck they don’t realize that they are only one paycheck away from being the oppressed. The system is using some middle class people to keep the rest in line, but at the end of the day those officers are just middle class people. Pawns being moved into place against their own country men, they deny the rights they demand for their children. This is insanity. We have seen that they have no plans for accountability, we see just plans to reinforce rule. Not a single person has lost their job or been held accountable for police corruption. All the while that system is constantly holding others accountable. When citizens have no voice people will go to extreme measures. This should have been addressed before the uprising in Ferguson. The latest killings have shown the discontent the people have with the police. Instead of trying to defuse the situation the NYPD went as far as declaring war on the public, Like there was ever any peace, basically saying the deaths they perpetrated was a way of keeping "peace." After it’s all said and done they can deny and shift blame all they want but the blood of those officers are on their hands. Ferguson protesters, especially me and Tef Poe, are having the finger pointed in our direction. Very responsible to blame peaceful protesters for violence perpetrated in a different part of the nation. Yes we have inspired a bunch of good folks to go out and make a difference. But we have also stressed keeping the peace regardless of the narrative of crash-dummy-journalists. A Fox affiliate even went as far as editing a video to make it sound like a group of protesters were calling out for deaths of police officers. This puts us all at risk, both police and citizens alike, and all for pageviews to keep itself relevant. The mainstream media is brainwashing the public to believe they are in danger so that the government can take away more of our rights. All to the thunderous applause by the sheeple. What's next? Why don't we see some accountability for a change? Officers are turning their backs on the mayor, signaling to the nation that the NYPD has gone rogue. They answer to no one, servicing only the highest bidder. Instead of addressing the issue they are calling for more violence against protesters. Will that keep cops safe? Will that help the healing process? Why do we allow that gang of thugs to keep law and order when they know nothing of the sort? Their only answer is "Comply with the law and you won't be hurt." I think that is bullshit. America foundation was built on revolution, was built on questioning the intentions of those in power. The sheeple who stress to comply with the law are completely un-American. They know nothing of what it takes to be a true American, unless everything we were taught was a lie. Which is becoming the case day by day, and the constitution is looking like a document created to appease the people. It's looking like it’s a sham, lies to justify a change in power. How can you deny that? They stated all men were created equal while they owned slaves. Does that sound democratic? Police officers are human, and they are citizens, but they are no more human than anyone else. Their citizenship isn't supposed to supersede ours, but that is the reality. While they scramble to protect killer cops, they are putting innocent cops in danger. This is by design. All of it, to keep those officers in check just like the rest of the populace. We protest to bring awareness to the public including the police. We protest to protect citizens from state-sanctioned violence, which includes the police. Do they do anything in return? No, they’re shifting blame And they point fingers to anyone else but themselves. We won't go back in the house until we see and feel a change. The revolution has just begun. It’s on them to comply with us not vice versa. We the people have spoken. It's time they actually listen, they are not doing any one any favors by ignoring the cries of the people they claim to protect. Either the police recognize and take measures to right the wrongs or they will be forced out of the job. Every cop that stood up and turned their back to the mayor should be reprimanded, keep your opinions at home and do the job you’re paid to do. The public will no longer tolerate the fact that killer cops are not held accountable nor contribute to our own oppression by enabling the police to hijack our communities. The system won't reform itself. Get off your ass.

What else have they lied about?

Who wants to live in a place where a few privileged people make decisions for the rest of us? The state uses its resources and manpower to dictate how people live. They’re only looking out for themselves and their puppet masters, instead of the people they supposed to serve. These repressive governments use every possible tool to perfect their system of oppression. They spread radical lies taking things out of context, pushing the agenda of the highest bidder, and voters keep eating that shit up. Fables labeled as facts, but a good lie has always has some element of truth. The propaganda machine has victimized many all the while propping up the wicked. They use fear and deception to rationalize senseless state-sanctioned killings, and then mix it with entertainment glorifying death and destruction. Every day the mainstream media broadcasts violence, then depending on who committed the violence either demonizes or defends the perpetrators of it. Some who resist military occupation are heroes, and some terrorists. It's only when this machine affects you and yours does one actually sees the hypocrisy in it. For many of us in Ferguson our activism was birthed August 9th. A leading factor in the birthing of it was how our community was portrayed nationwide, enabled by sensationalist journalism. We saw a completely different story on the news than what we saw in the streets. Immediately the trust between the mainstream media and the people of Ferguson was shattered. The trust is gone and it’s going to be an uphill battle to get it back. We did what we could, but social media was the way our voice was amplified. With that we inadvertently started to create our own media. This is why citizen journalism is vital for sustaining and furthering a movement. Livestreaming combined with Tweets and Vines have kept the true narrative alive. Without these tools the public would have to fully rely on the propaganda machine to stay informed, which would mean the complete demonization of our community and cause. The mainstream media is now a joke, nothing more than entertainers & appeasers instead of objective journalism. They have sold their souls to the highest bidder. Corporations and special interest groups have hijacked America. No longer does the average Joe help dictate the way his community is ran. It's left to those we have entrusted to represent him, but as we see the leaders have been bought. There are no more righteous people in the government just the greedy and corrupt. They want us to calm down, and to go back in the house. But the lies constantly being spewed is now making people sick. It used to be funny, looking at them in LaLa Land, but now it's just utterly disgusting to watch. Look at what we have had to deal with in the last decade. They told us the Patriot Act was to only combat terrorism, but Edward Snowden called out the lies. They said America wasn't torturing prisoners, CIA Report says otherwise. They constantly lie to the public, taking all your rights away one morsel at a time. Give an inch they take a mile, but we can't give them no more inches. If we don't tell them otherwise they will keep killing us them and everyone they can. White House has so much blood on its hands, and they can't ever just wash it away with a few pieces of legislation and an apology. Fuck that, no more apologies. It's time they learn accountability. They force it on us we must force it on them. And ask yourself this question: What else have they lied about?

Join us or stay out of our way, the revolution has arrived

The anxiety leading up to the announcement was a roller coaster ride of emotions.108 days in and there we were crowding up around the car on South Florissant waiting for the inevitable. No more delays. All the anticipation led up to this moment. What happened next was documented very well, but with all this documentation different narratives have popped up.

The emotions on the ground in Ferguson were at an all-time high during and after McCulloch’s victory speech. He came out insulting the memory of Mike Brown and with us standing next to his mother we could all feel part of her pain. People whom I look to for strength were in tears; no words could be said. All I could think about was my mother and the pain she would feel if this happened to me. That pain Leslie was feeling was felt nationwide and it hurt most of us who are committed to this movement.

As we started marching on South Florissant there was no vandalism or anything violent going on, but we were met by a police line blocking us from advancing. In front of this police line was an empty squad car sitting there undefended. For a few minutes the car wasn’t touched but the anger took over. They didn’t indict and now they wouldn’t let us march down the street. They acted as if they are above the law, and felt necessary to block our demonstration. The undefended police car became the target of a few peoples’ rage, and they damaged it and few tried to flip it over. It gave chief Belmar premise to deploy gas and that he did.

The police initially deployed the gas around the area of the police car, and people immediately started throwing the canisters back at police. Next thing I saw was a barrage of canisters flying everywhere and South Florissant looked like a movie scene. Some of the tear gas infiltrated even my gas mask. Once I took it off I had a better view of what was going on and all I could see was chaos.

Tactical vehicles firing tear gas canisters in all directions. Canisters were deployed into the adjacent residential neighborhood even though no protesters were on that street. Some were rolled on the ground but most were fired in the air. It was like playing center field but instead of catching a baseball we were dodging chemical weapons. Flashbangs were used along with a wide array of other weapons aimed at collectively punishing citizens in Ferguson that wanted justice for fallen brothers and sisters.

At this point only thing that was vandalized was the police car, and as we were being driven north up the road the vandalism started. Quiznos was the first business whose windows were busted out, and that’s when protesters linked in front of Cathy’s kitchen protecting all the businesses they could. Tactical vehicles started rolling north up the road dispersing tear gas and leaving a path of incapacitated citizens in their wake. As that was happening police had the other side of South Florissant under blockade. Protesters were stuck in between that blockade & the tactical vehicles getting constantly tear gassed on the Andy Wurm lot. It seemed as the St. Louis County officers were too busy fulfilling their fantasies of hurting protesters instead of upholding their oaths. While they were waging a war on us, West Florissant was completely in flames, but did they try and stop that? Nope they were focused on solely suppressing the protests and protecting the police station. Protecting other properties isn’t their job is what they were trying to insinuate.

Once again a small handful of people taking advantage have tried to label the Ferguson movement as violent. During the whole fiasco we all witnessed the state waging war on its citizens and letting the collateral damage be collateral damage. They try to hold everyone accountable but themselves. They demanded the St. Louis Rams apologize but gave no apology for how they abused citizens. No apology to the pregnant woman that lost her eye to a beanbag round. This entity is unchecked in our community, they continue to foster the notion that we serve them, and that we are here only to appease and satisfy them.

The rest of that night was nothing more than St. Louis County allowing businesses to be burned up to cover the fact that Bob McCulloch hijacked the grand jury allowing their poster boy officer walk free of murder. It’s no secret that there are plans to gentrify West Florissant, so they let all the businesses burn while they suppressed clergy and the lost voices.

We see you, Governor Nixon and you will be held accountable for enabling this violence and intimidation against us. Your inaction allows the police to suppress some protesters with phony charges. You use the police to get the vocal protestors off the streets hoping that it will intimidate the others into quitting.

The next day after the announcement around 3pm a couple of friends and I went and ate lunch in downtown St. Louis. Leaving that restaurant we saw there was an action taking place. We decided to go get ready so we can participate in the next action. We got off on highway 70 and Union when all of a sudden 8-10 unmarked cars pulled up around us. More than 10 plainclothes detectives surrounded the vehicle pointing pistols in our faces threatening to use force if we didn’t comply, which we immediately did. They placed me and Tdubo under arrest while my friend Rika was allowed to drive off. They gave us no reason to why they detained us whatsoever until we got into the station.

I entered the interrogation room immediately they wanted to question me. I knew I did nothing wrong so I wasn’t worried, but countless others have been in that same situation and charges were filed on innocent people. Without hesitation they told me I was under surveillance, I asked why they told me that I was placed under surveillance for a tweet that I sent. That tweet specifically was about Palestine, the context of the tweet was not stated to me but they used my heritage as a reason to put me under surveillance when my life is already documented. In and out of jail my whole life, and recently I’ve spent a majority of my days in front of a livestream. They know everything about me why waste time and money doing it while we have so many unsolved murders?

They charged me with driving while revoked. When I started asking them more specific questions about the surveillance they ended the interview. Felony driving while revoked is what they charged me with and stuck a $15,000 cash-only bond on me, hoping that no one would pay it and would have to sit in jail until court. The night before I had 92,000 viewers watching the military response to citizens on my livestream. The police’s mission was to have those people rely on media that they deem fit for people to watch. But Ferguson supporters weren’t having it and within 24 hours raised $15,000 for my bond. The mobilization to free me goes to show how much people appreciate real uncut news. The police are using the system and its resources to intimidate people into submission. This should be alarming considering we’re supposed to have freedom of expression in America.

Since the string of No Indictments the nation has rose up. Protests have sprung up everywhere, and this movement has morphed into a revolution. We’re going to take this corrupt system down. No more playing. No more holding back. I saw interesting things happen over the course of the last 122 days. It gives me hope that there are better days to come. The revolution is going to have to get more radical but staying on the status quo. No we aren’t peaceful protesters we are doing Militant Non Violent Civil Disobedience. Not one person has been hurt but we will disrupt occupy and force the system to change with people power. They are scared of us and for good reason; the uprising in Ferguson has empowered people to act.

We started this national conversation August 9th and since then we have had multiple police killings. The latest Tamir Rice just reaffirms that this whole damn system from top to bottom must be tore down. We must take it back if we even ever had it, it’s time a true democracy came to the earth. One not built on blood and the sweat of slaves. The constitution had been a sham since it was invented. It says we’re all equal, but was written during a time when people owned human slaves. It’s a document meant to appease the people into believing that there is hope, while the government secretly violates these rights over and over, with absolutely no regard for human life.

Revolution is absolutely necessary to make sure that our children will not live in a police state. The time is now, and anyone not with it must stand to the side. The millennials have spoken and acted, if you’re not with us your against us. The nation will become the one it’s advertised to be. I couldn’t care less what the opposition thinks. They are the minority and under a more moral system they will be safer as well. Fuck respectability-politics it obviously hasn’t worked so there is no need to conform to it. In the new system everyone will have their voice heard no matter what. They have disenfranchised so many by criminalizing us, making our voices in government rendered null and void. Not anymore we will tear it down and rebuild as our fore fathers claimed we the people had the right to do.

Join us or stay out of our way, the revolution has arrived.

This does not end with Darren Wilson

The most common thing I hear about the post-indictment phase of the Darren Wilson case is how tense and on edge the city is. We can all say without a shadow of a doubt that St. Louis County officials have dropped the ball and let all of us down, and there could definitely be a lot more transparency between the citizens and our public servants. Mike Brown was the wind that fanned the flames of underlying tensions in St. Louis County. His death sparked an awakening unlike any other of our generation. A factor in the immediate uprising in St. Louis and St. Louis County is that the government has systematically disenfranchised many of its residents, especially the youth, by criminalizing them with petty charges and then labeling them as criminals. Once labeled a criminal, your voice dies in the "official" world. The Republicans don't represent us and neither do the Democrats, the only thing that protects us is the Constitution. The document that's supposed to keep our freedoms and liberties protected from predatory governments. When the tear gas came out they targeted non-violent demonstrators and the media. The first and fourth amendments were tossed out the window. How as citizens of America are we supposed to react to that? Personally, and I can speak for a lot of the people involved, the blatant abuse of our rights is a driving factor in why we’re doing what we’re doing. My father was born in Palestine and I was born in America. I am a Palestinian American and I am deeply patriotic to both countries. If I had to go with a political label, then I would call myself a constitutionalist. Humans should all have a chance to live equally, preservation of life is a fundamental principle, and our liberties are non-negotiable. Our forefathers saw to that, and our soldiers fought and died for it. Respect for those who have fallen and recognizing their sacrifice is important. Unfortunately our way of life is once again under siege, and the innocent are being caught in the middle. Civilians, young and old, are taking precautions to ensure the safety of their property and their loved ones. Kids have to eat and get to school I can attest to you that we will try to make it so everyone will be safe. Generally speaking, everything is calm until police hurts someone and only then does the community react. Deescalating situations should be left to community organizers, and only in extreme situations should the police get involved. Collective punishment is not the American way. As long as police handle the demonstrators peacefully, and respect our constitutional rights, there will be no problems. We can then start a healing process that takes some hard dialogue between both parties involved. Mainstream Media’s Imaginary Narrative: The race war narrative is an unjust story as the diversity of the movement is powerful and uplifting. Often the mainstream media has a narrow view of the situation, and they paint a picture based on just a few isolated events. This can be very misleading and can make a mess of things and has ratcheted up the tension in Ferguson. The community does not fear the peaceful protestors, only the outside agitators. Agitators whose agenda is the spread of hate, fear, and violence. But has anyone stopped to consider what may happen if there is an indictment? Darren Wilson supporters have made more radical statements than Michael Brown supporters on Twitter and online message boards. It hadn't manifested itself yet but if we don't address it will surely grow into something that nobody wants. To the hate groups: All I can say is if you do show up, you will be shocked at the solidarity of the community. We as a community will overcome the barriers that others have put in our way. People of St. Louis, we the protesters in Ferguson do not wish harm on anyone regardless of the decision on the indictment of Darren Wilson. I can't speak for all, but a majority of us will be demonstrating according to Reverend Sekou’s ideology: "Militant non-violent civil disobedience." And we will direct our attention only toward the police. Regular citizens won't have to fear property damage or violence coming from community protesters. Almost 100 days of protesting we have been peaceful 98% of the time. We have all made mistakes, including myself, but we learn from them and move forward. The next few weeks our communities strength will be tested, history has shown us that violence only breeds more violence. Our paths are all not the same, but we all have one thing in common the fact that we are all human beings.

Ferguson 2 Palestine

A question I keep hearing is: “Why do you link the struggle in Palestine with the conflict in Ferguson?” It's a series of similarities that connects both struggles and it starts with the notion that a group of people are superior, or more suited to make decisions for others. In Israel the minority Zionist population controls every facet of life of the majority Palestinian population. From politics to culture, they wish to suffocate the Palestinian people into submission using psychological and violent tactics. Their goals are obvious, and there is no debate that the Zionists despise everything Palestinian, yet want to rob them of their culture and heritage and call it their own. In Ferguson we see the same trend in politics, where a minority controls the local government, and the police. Our appointed officials do whatever possible to suppress the citizens they supposedly serve. The similarities to Palestine became very clear once the Ferguson police started dumping tear gas on citizens expressing their constitutional rights. They even choke us when we travel. St. Louis County practices in illegal extortion that is meant to keep a community in constant fear. In the West Bank there are Israeli roads that are designated “Israelis only.” These apartheid roads are meant to strangle the Palestinian economy, and meant to make life harder on the civilians. A trip from a village to Ramallah should be only 15 minutes but with the road situation it takes 45 minutes or more because Palestinians must take longer routes. In Saint Louis County the police intimidate people off certain roads with predator policing. When people are getting pulled over constantly on a certain road, they too, must take longer routes to avoid this interaction with the police. We have all witnessed it coming down highway 70. Take a drive down Hazelwood Ballwin or Welston, and you’ll see the police pulling over and ticketing poor people and minorities. It’s time we stop issuing warrants for simple traffic tickets. This method of policing is meant to keep certain people out of certain places. The law us supposed to protect us, not criminalize us. Another similarity between Ferguson and Palestine is state-sanctioned snooping, and privacy invasions. In Israel it's taken to an extreme level, and the IDF will barge into a home in the West Bank in the middle of the night. They will document where each person sleeps, where his bed is, and even what kind of shoes he wears. In America we’re supposed to have a constitutional right to privacy, but our privacy is constantly violated by the CIA and NSA. Somebody is always watching, always listening. Our officials fine us and imprison us for breaking the tiniest law, but they are violating our privacy rights in the name of America. I imagine that soon Ferguson will be patrolled by drones, looking in our windows, and spying on us “In the name of America." Where does it end? The privacy of Americans is not being violated as bad as the Palestinians, but our government is slowly taking away our constitutional rights through the use of fear and intimidation. If we don't rise up and challenge the government our rights will end up a myth, murdered for an illusion called "democracy." The largest of similarities between Ferguson and Palestine is that the media has always victimized the oppressors, and made the actual victims look like savages and criminals. Propaganda is a weapon that both Israel and the US wield liberally, and the mainstream media helps them with an edited and fictionalized narrative. Nobody is held accountable whom the government does not wish to see held accountable. Those that play along are kept safe, and whistle-blowers are thrown under the bus. It's time for our government to change. People are screaming for justice across the planet, and they’re tired of their leaders’ silence. While rubber bullets and canisters of tear gas are flying in the streets, our leaders are wasting their time debating trivial issues in their ivory towers. As the cries for justice get louder, the enemy will get angrier. We must be prepared for anything. We must take back the planet from the One Percent. We the people must be unified in our pursuit for justice, all folks from all backgrounds we have one thing in common and its humanity. Democracy has been kidnapped, and it's up to the people rescue it.