The Human Rights Campaign today called for a complete investigation of police actions during a raid this weekend at the Rainbow Lounge, a newly opened gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today called for an investigation into alleged police misconduct at a gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas this weekend. Local media reported that patrons complained of officers using excessive force in an inspection that coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York.
“Brutality at the hands of law enforcement is never acceptable and these allegations demonstrate the need for a thorough and impartial investigation,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We applaud the Fort Worth community for seeking answers to these very serious charges.”
Fort Worth police officers and Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission agents arrested seven patrons at the Rainbow Lounge early Sunday while conducting an alcoholic beverage code inspection of the bar. Witnesses to the event say the officers used excessive force – in some cases slamming patrons to the ground.According to the Dallas Voice, one patron, Chad Gibson, is in intensive care for a head injury following the incident. Dozens of local residents protested at the county courthouse yesterday and the Fort Worth Police Department has issued a statement saying they are investigating the allegations internally.
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This kind of attention from our national LGBT rights organizations will be very helpful in ensuring the investigation is full and fair. The brighter the spotlight, the better.
Always stuns me when officials declare they will investigate themselves…. as if there is a shred of credibility to such a scenario. Let’s hope the investigation move outside of the departments hands.
Thanks Teddy. Recd
I hope that the two City Council members who have spoken out and called for an independent investigation will ensure that this doesn’t end up with the police investigating themselves. There clearly needs to be an outside investigation, either by a state or federal agency, of the out-of-control police behavior this weekend in Fort Worth.
Thank you!
wonder if the Fort Worth Human Relations Commission might be of help with the investigation. Don’t know if the FW council expanded coverage of protected groups since I was on staff there in the 70s doing civil rights enforcement, but they used to be reasonably righteous folks in my years there.
Teddy, OT, but the Sacramento Bee this morning featured a very interesting front page article on San Francisco’s effort to create a universal health care service for its citizens.
How about doing a post on how that’s coming as you see it? The
Bee cite is at http://www.sacbee.com/topstori…..4795.html.
Blessings,
OT: The crew and passengers on the Spirit need some help to get to Gaza safely. Israel rammed them last time and might well do it again unless they know that people are ‘watching’. The phone, fax, and e-mails are at the site.
**************
” We’ve just received word from the Spirit of Humanity. They are 24 miles off the coast of Gaza, and are still surrounded by Israeli warships. Israeli Occupying Forces have threatened to take violent action against the small boat unless it turns around. They will not turn around.
Our people on the boat have slowed their speed significantly and are telling the Israelis that they must not fire on unarmed human rights workers and journalists, including Nobel peace prize laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Regardless of Israeli threats, they will not turn around. They continue, slowly, sailing toward Gaza.
PLEASE immediately call Israeli Occupying Forces and demand that they STOP threatening the Spirit of Humanity. “
http://www.freegaza.org/en/hom…..et-to-gaza
Who is the police chief and the DA? Someone wants the Fundy vote we should target this person.
” Today Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (see below for a complete list of passengers). The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel.
“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip,” said Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and presidential candidate. “President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do. We’re asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.”"
http://www.freegaza.org/en/hom…..live-trees