[Seattle-editorial] FEATURE PROPOSAL: Kwame/Merciful

[jonathan lawson]

Ok, I didn't mean to do this one but the story was too important. Details 
may change quickly but here's what we have so far (if we approve this 
quickly it'll be a scoop). Susan is currently rushing to finish a James 
Ujaama feature, which we should post before, i.e. below, this one...

subtitle: BLACK MUSLIM COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS CONTINUES
title: Garrett and Allah Arrested in Violent Encounter

On Wednesday morning, community activists <a 
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=16754">Kwame 
Garrett and Merciful Allah were arrested</a> after crossing the street at 
the corner of  Second and Yesler and taken to the King County jail. In a 
phone call from the jail, Garrett said that police officers rushed up to 
them with weapons drawn, shouting, "jaywalking!," and beat the two with 
batons, also using pepper spray to subdue them. Garrett said that he 
suffered back injuries, and that Allah may have a broken finger. Neither 
received immediate medical attention in custody. The two are reportedly 
under investigation for felony assault of a police officer.

<p>Both activists were well-known critics of the Seattle Police. Allah was 
recently awarded a cash settlement by the City after being assaulted by 
Seattle Police in 1998, and Garrett had spoken against police violence in 
Seattle in the days before his arrest,  appearing onstage at the Umoja Fest 
and with Dead Prez at the EMP. Garrett is the son of <a 
href="http://www.colorsnw.com/inside/article.htm">Omari Tahir-Garrett</a>, 
former mayoral candidate and longtime advocate of founding an 
African-American Heritage Museum in the old Colman School--a <a 
href="http://www.ainfos.ca/98/may/ainfos00237.html">cause</a> which Kwame 
and Allah share with Tahir-Garrett. After two trials and many months of 
professing his innocence, Tahir-Garrett was convicted last week of 
assaulting Mayor Schell last year,  leaving Garrett  in a position of 
apparent leadership regarding the cause.

<p>After the recent secretive detention of Seattle journalist/activist 
James Ujaama, webmaster of the anti-war site www.stopAmerica.com, some 
observers are interpreting the Garrett/Allah case as further evidence that 
law enforcement agencies are targeting black Muslim political activists.