Tomorrow, a federal appeals court in Grand Rapids will begin hearing an appeal by the ACLU on behalf of the Benton Harbor activist Reverend Ed Pinkney who has been targeted by the government for his civil rights work in Benton Harbor.
Outside of the hearing, a coalition of supports will be staging a demonstration. An announcement of the demonstration was sent to MediaMouse.org:
ACLU Defends Persecuted Benton Harbor Civil Rights Leader in Grand Rapids Appeals Trial
Concerned Citizens Rally in Defense of a “Voice for the Voiceless”
Who: The Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization (MWRO), the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (MCHR), the Grand Rapids IWW, and people from throughout Michigan who support social justice.
Why: Rev. Pinkney has been fighting for social justice in Benton Harbor as leader of the Black Autonomy Network of Community Organizers (BANCO). He was convicted by an all-white jury on trumped-up charges related to false allegations of voter fraud. The ACLU was successful in winning his release from prison, on bond, pending the outcome of his appeal.
What: Picket in Support of Rev. Pinkney’s Civil Rights
When: June 9, 8 am. Trial begins at 9 am.
Where:
Court Of Appeals Building
350 Ottawa
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
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