Following is an report from Reuters on the Reedeem the Dream march and rally against police brutality and racial profiling Saturday in DC- organizers said 100,000 participated - Reuters says "tens of thousands" attended. On CSPAN it was clear to see that the crowd was absolutely huge, and over three quarters Black.

The Reuters report leaves out lots of very striking moments- an address by Abner Louima, by the parents of Amadou Diallo- whose mother is clearly becoming more and more opposed to the system - and, significantly, especially for a march organized by the Black bourgeosie, a five minute taped address by Mumia Abu Jamal.

However many thousands or millions watched the live coverage on CSPAN heard some telling exposure of police brutality, mass incarceration, police murder, and racial profiling.

Listen- this is potentially huge- and it is significant that the churches and the traditional civil rights sectors of the African American community are taking up this battle. Its up to us to take it higher, to merge with ever greater determination the struggles around issues like globalization with the struggles of the people on the bottom.

Times are changing, and it doesn't matter all that much for the moment if the media ignores it. WE need to grasp that this summer there was Philly, LA, and now this march in DC. We need to grasp the implications of it, to take a deep look at the faultline issues and begin to go there directly in our work.

History doesn't, per se, repeat itself, and we are in a new stage of history and in the development of imperialism. But in these emerging movements there is some small parallel worth looking at between the Civil Rights and Black Power movements on one hand and the Free Speech/ Anti-war movement on the other- back in the day--- and the rapidly growing movement to free Mumia/Stop Police Brutality/ Mass Incarceration and the Death Penalty and the post Seattle movement today.

We saw many of the same elements coming into play together here in LA during the DNC and in Philly as well. In LA there was the Mumia march, the August 16th actions around police brutality, mass incarceration, and to free political prisoners. On the 17th there was a joint march for immigrant's rights and against globalization. Other activities also had a marked multi-cultural charactar.

There is reason for hope in the power and determination of the people, who will always, in the end, rise up against oppression.

Rafael Renteria

~~~~~~~~~~~

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Aug. 26) - Martin Luther King III, invoking the spirit of his father during a rally to commemorate the civil rights leader's most famous speech, called on President Clinton on Saturday to end the police practice of racial profiling.

Standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial close to where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic ''I Have a Dream'' speech 37 years ago, King joined the Rev. Al Sharpton in challenging Clinton to issue an executive order banning police from stopping and questioning people on the basis of race.

''I say to America, that if you understand what consciousness is and if you understand the wrongness of racial profiling and police brutality you must do the right thing,'' King said during the ''Redeem the Dream'' rally.

''Sometimes we must take positions because they are neither safe, nor popular, nor comfortable. But we must take those positions because our conscience tells us they are right,'' King said, harking back to the memory of his father.

Sharpton called on Clinton, whose term as president ends in January, to use the time he has remaining in office to stop the practice.

''We want an executive order that bars federal funds from any local or state law enforcement agency that has a pattern of police brutality or racial profiling,'' Sharpton said.

The vocal New York activist extended his call to the candidates seeking to win the November national election, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Al Gore.

''Both of you are running for president, but you can't run from us. If you want us (to vote for you), you have to come to us and address our concerns,'' Sharpton said.

The ''Redeem the Dream'' rally, which drew tens of thousands of people, was designed to add pressure on elected officials to reach out to minorities and renew Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of equality and justice.

''To those who occupy the seats of government and the chambers of power, I say my father stood trying to redeem the souls of America and I challenge you to assure that he did not stand or die in vain,'' King said.

He reminded the crowd of his father's dream that one day his children would live in a nation where they would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

''But as one of those four little children,'' King said, ''I must remind you that that one day, clearly and sadly, is not today.''

Minorities in the United States still faced obstacles at banks, in employment lines and in the courtrooms, he said.

I am embarassesed & ashamed to find when searching with 5 online search engines that a grand total of

I am embarassed & ashamed to find when searching with 5 online search-engines that a grand total of 1 (one!) article/reference showed up on this March.

I understand that not all organizations/participants would be able to submit information to Internet resources (cheers to IMC), but what is most appalling is the COMPLETE lack of mainstream media coverage on this event. It leads me to believe that corporate-press is unabashedly RACIST--something I had not previously considered to be so direct.

I am trying to get in contact with the organizers of this March to make connections here back at home, so if anyone knows more info, please share.

Thanks

MG

Look, I live in the Washington, DC are andI didn't attend this march. I saw one photo in the Post and it looked like there where a lot of people there. If the number of tens of thousands is being kicked around, that is probebl y accurate based on the photo I saw. However, I find it hard to believe that 100,000 participated. That would be a truly big protest and all of the local media would be all over it.

So I'm basically saying that it never does activists any good to inflate attendance numbers. It's encouraging that thousands turned out for this event, so there is no need to inflate the number of people actually there.

Chuck0

There was a time I stood proud as an American. Now, however, it seems like that was a long, long time ago. It is clear that main-stream Amerikkka has ZERO regard for minorities. As a Nepali-American, I watch the news regularly-- in high hopes, that myabe, just maybe, there will be positive reports on minorities in the U.S. Time after time, I am let down. Never are marches like this reported. Also, when tragedies such as Amadou Diyalo's murder occur, little coverage is given and eventually all is forgotten.

Bravo to IMC for mentioning the march and encouraging participation in the future!

Much Love,

Roshani.

my people we must not just simply talk about our injustice's there is too much work to be done in this world to just talk. Malcom X, Robert Kennedy, Martin luther King Jr. and Emilaino Zapata did no die in vain. To resolve our problems we can't look to the news or hope another march breaks so we can attend, we must strive 100% everyday to educate with physical means by boycotting products that keep us oppressed we must read about the corporations that poison us and we must join hands with every color of every people. See the leaders mentioned above already did the talking for us yet if the profiling continues and racist discrimination adds to our deprivation of our self dignity then that means as a society we as citizens are not doing our part. Its our own damn fault that this shit happens to our youth. I take arms by spaeking out when something is falsly is said at work or inpublis life and especially at the college I attend. The native Americans here for years have spoke but have been ignored, this unfortunately will happen to us one day if we don't take physical action get from behind the television and finally come to grips with reality and live life for once and surpass our ancestors.

thats all its up to us the people black brown yellow red and white. Vive Zapata