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Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
Mon Feb 22, 2016, 01:05 PM Feb 2016

In New York, Thousands Protest Officer Liang’s Conviction [View all]

On the vast lawn of the plaza near the courthouse in Brooklyn where Peter Liang, a former New York City police officer, was convicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man just over a week ago, a crowd of several thousand people gathered on Saturday.

They chanted, “No scapegoat! No scapegoat!” and carried signs bearing the same message. Some said they had never had a reason to protest before, while others said they had taken the day off from work or had come by train and bus from across the city — or as far as New Jersey and Connecticut — to take part in the demonstration at Cadman Plaza Park to show their support for Officer Liang.

Prosecutors had described Officer Liang’s behavior as reckless when he fired his gun inside a public housing complex, and argued that after the man, Akai Gurley, had been shot, the officer seemed more concerned about his career than in helping Mr. Gurley, who was 28.

Yet Officer Liang’s conviction has gripped many in the city’s Chinese-American community, who believe that he had been targeted for prosecution because of his race. They followed the case closely and have been denouncing the jury’s verdict, arguing that Officer Liang, 28, was a victim himself. Supporters of Officer Liang noted the strained relationship between the police and African-Americans across the country, after a string of incidents in which unarmed black men were killed by officers, many of whom were never charged.

Officer Liang, in their view, was the one who had to pay the price. One of the printed announcements for the rally read, “In the wake of so many unfortunate deaths of unarmed black men, some cops gotta hang.” The evidence against Officer Liang, his supporters contend, did not seem as clear-cut compared to the cases of other officers who have not been prosecuted. Some also believed that the gunfire had been an accidental discharge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/nyregion/in-new-york-thousands-protest-officer-liangs-conviction.html?_r=1

Wait.... WHAT?

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So in a nutshell... He should not have been convicted because white cops get away with murder all Glassunion Feb 2016 #1
poorly written story hfojvt Feb 2016 #2
Yes, an "accident"... Blue_Tires Feb 2016 #3
Indeed reckless. NobodyHere Feb 2016 #4
and what if you didn't intend to shoot at anything? hfojvt Feb 2016 #6
Pretty sure that nobody on DU would draw a gun because it's dark. NutmegYankee Feb 2016 #8
As someone who was given his first gun for my birthday when I was 12 Downtown Hound Feb 2016 #10
I thought the first commandment of guns Blue_Tires Feb 2016 #11
The prosecution argued that the shooting was not an accident. That he fired when he heard a noise. CBGLuthier Feb 2016 #19
tribalist assholes nt geek tragedy Feb 2016 #5
It was a proper conviction, the Officer was negligent and cost an innocent man his life. NutmegYankee Feb 2016 #7
ok, imagine you are asian and have watched all these white cops get away with murdering black kids La Lioness Priyanka Feb 2016 #9
Two wrongs don't make a right. N.T. Donald Ian Rankin Feb 2016 #12
and unequal justice remains unequal. nt La Lioness Priyanka Feb 2016 #14
I don't see black folks protesting because the Freddie Gray officers were black nt geek tragedy Feb 2016 #13
because that would be an insane protest, however, black friends have commented La Lioness Priyanka Feb 2016 #16
There was a difference in victims. NutmegYankee Feb 2016 #17
as i said, i don't agree with them, i just see where they are coming from La Lioness Priyanka Feb 2016 #18
It wasn't the shooting that convicted him... brooklynite Feb 2016 #15
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