Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20160112

Joaquin chapo guzman. Will it move to reform the drug laws that help keep him in business . Unfortunately, as i said, where i grew up, there was no other way and there still isnt a way to survive. No way to work in our economy to be up to make a living. Amy well go to mexico city to speak with acclaimed mexican journalist Elena Poniatowska and with Laura Carlsen, of the center for international policy. Then 18 months after eric garners death at the hands of new york city police, one officer is facing charges, departmental charges, that she is not one of the officers directly involved in garners death by chokehold. Instead, Sergeant Kizzy adonis, who is africanamerican, faces internal charges of failing to supervise. Well speak to eric garners daughter, erica garner, who says authorities should be charging the officers who killed her father. And we will speak with the only person who was on the scene that day. He is in criminally charged ramsey orta. ,he is the young man who videoed eric garners chokehold death on his cell phone and revealed it to the world. He says police have targeted him harassment and retaliation. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In iraq, a series of bombings and shootings have killed scores of people marking the countrys deadliest day in three months. At a mall in the predominantly shia area of the capital baghdad, attackers detonated a car bomb and then stormed inside. At least 32 people were killed, 58 injured. Northeast of the capital, 42 people were killed in a twin suicide bombing at a cafe. The self claimed Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both attacks. Earlier today, suicide bomber attacked a check what north of baghdad, killing four police and injuring an intelligence officer. In turkey, and explosion in a jurist area of his symbol has killed at least 10 people and injured 15. The turkish president says the bomber had ties to syria. The Obama Administration has repatriated a saudi prisoner held at guantanamo since the days after the prison first opened in 2002. The transfer of mohammad Al Rahman Al Shumrani came on the 14th anniversary of the arrival of the first prisoners at guantanamo. Shumrani arrived at guantanamo january 16, 2002. Throughout his 14 years there, he was never charged with a crime. His transfer leaves 103 prisoners at guantanamo. On monday, former prisoners ruhal ahmed and shaker aamer were among those who rallied outside the u. S. Embassy in london to call for the prisons closure. I want everybody to know that today we are here not as brother from guantanamo, but everybody, all of you, the media outlets, for one reason truly to bring justice back, to close guantanamo once and for all. It has been kept open by a country who claims to be the champions of democracy and justice. It is a joke, to be honest. It saddens me that it is open it,im out and others have and are still stuck there. Amy an aid convoy has reached the besieged syrian town of madaya, where the United Nations says its received credible reports of people dying of starvation. About 40,000 people have been trapped in the rebelheld town for six months amid a government blockade. Mondays shipment was the first foreign aid to reach madaya since october. The french authorities have opened new temporary shelters doubt how some of those living in frances largest refugee camp. Thousands of people in the port calais have been camped out in makeshift tents in what they call the jungle. Their goal is to reach britain by jumping on top of or inside trucks. Officials have now unveiled shipping containers that can hold up to 1500 people. They are equipped with heat, but no water or sanitary facilities. One afghan resident objected to the new lodgings, saying they are fingerprinted and its like a prison. To see our coverage when we were in france, you can go to democracynow. Org. The democratic president ial candidates spoke in the key caucus state of iowa monday at the black and brown forum hosted by fusion network. Just weeks before the february 1 caucuses, polls show the race between Democratic Candidates Hillary Clinton and vermont senator Bernie Sanders essentially tied. The latest nbc wall street journal poll shows clinton leading sanders by just three Percentage Points among likely iowa voters. Sanders is leading over clinton in the key primary state of new hampshire. At mondays forum, clinton broke with the Obama Administration to condemn the recent raids targeting Central American families who have fled violence. I have come out against the raids. I do not think they are in appropriate tool to enforce the immigration laws. In fact, i think their devices, sowing discord and fear. And i also have come out in favor of guaranteeing that unaccompanied children have governmentsponsored council so that as they go through the process, they will not be lost in the process, confused by the process, and will have a chance to tell their story. Amy in news from the Republican Campaign trail, kentucky senator rand paul and former Hewlett Packard ceo Carly Fiorina will not participate in this thursdays primetime debate. Fox Business Network said the pair do not have strong and uphold embers. Paul said he will refuse the offer to participate in the socalled undercard debate before the main debate, citing the faulty analysis used to determine participants. The Supreme Court appears set to deal a major blow to Public Employee unions. The justices heard arguments monday in a case brought by the rightwing center for individual rights and backed by other antiunion groups. The case involves 10 california teachers who object to a state law requiring them to pay a fair Share Service fee for collective bargaining activities, even if they choose not to join a union. In 1977, the Supreme Court ruled against forcing nonunion members to pay for a unions political activities, but upheld required payments for collective bargaining. The Supreme Court now appears likely to overturn that precedent, potentially weakening Public Sector unions nationwide by allowing workers to opt out of paying for Union Activities that benefit them. Among the groups that have backed the rightwing law firm in the union case are entities used frequently by the billionaire brothers charles and david koch. Politico has reported the koch political machine now eclipses the official Republican Party in key areas, with about three and a half times as many employees as the Republican National committee. Meanwhile a new book on the koch , brothers by new yorker journalist jane mayer reveals the Koch Brothers father, fred koch, helped build an oil refinery in nazi germany a project approved personally by adolf hitler. In detroit, michigan, most Public Schools are shuttered today after teachers staged a sickout to protest the states inaction over black mold, rat infestations, crumbling buildings, and inadequate staffing. Teachers say they have up to 45 or 50 students in some classrooms. Meanwhile, michigan Governor Rick Snyder faced intense questioning in another michigan city, flint over the poisoning , of the citys water. Residents have reported Lasting Health impacts after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Governor Snyder switched the citys water source to the longpolluted flint river in a bid to save money. Under questioning by reporters monday, snyder refused to say whether it was fair for residents to continue to pay for the poisoned water. The water coming from your tap at home, should you have to pay for it . That is one of the questions we will be reviewing. The question is, should you be paying for contaminated water is a came out of your tap . We are addressing the immediate issue is making sure people have youre not answering my question. Amy in baltimore, the trial of the Police Officer who drove the van where freddie gray is believed to have suffered fatal injuries that left his spine 80 severed at his neck has had his trial postponed. Jury selection was due to begin monday for officer caesar goodson, the second of six officers to go on trial in the case and the one facing the most serious charges. But the case has been postponed amid a dispute over whether a key witness, officer william porter, will be forced to testify. Porters own trial for his role in grays death ended in a mistrial last month and he faces a retrial in june. At his own trial, porter said he told officer Goodson Freddie gray needed to go to the hospital. And president obama will deliver his final state of the Union Address tonight, a week after he announced he was taking executive action on gun control. Michelle obama is expected to leave an empty seat in her press box to represent those killed by gun violence. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The Mexican Government has begun extraditing drug lord Joaquin Chapo guzman to the United States after he was recaptured in mexico on friday. He managed to escape a safe house through drains and tunnels and steal a car before Mexican Forces nabbed him as he fled. Footage of the operation on the safe house released on monday show an intense gunfight that left five suspects dead. Guzman is now held at the maximumsecurity altiplano prison the same prison he escaped from through a tunnel dug under his cell six months ago. He had also previously escaped from prison in a laundry cart in 2001. The United States had sought to extradite him before his most recent escape, but mexico refused. The embarrassment of guzmans getaway last year has raised pressure on the government of president Enrique Pena Nieto and sparked questions about its vulnerability to corruption. Guzman is said to have been aided by paid informants and accomplices on the inside. But his capture this time may have been his own doing. Mexican Authorities Say they were helped in their investigation by guzmans communications while in hiding, including with actor sean penn. Guzman apparently agreed to do an interview with penn for Rolling Stone as part of a bid to turn his life story into a movie. He also reportedly had a strong personal interest in the mexican actress who arranged the meeting, kate del castillo. In this excerpt from penns interview, guzman responds to a question about the harms caused by drugs. Well, it is a reality that drugs destroy. Is Joaquin Chapo guzman challenging his potential extradition to the u. S. , a process that could take well over a year. It is unclear how much of an impacts arrest will have on a drug war that has killed tens of thousands in mexico over the past decade. Advocates say its and so does sensible drug laws were established, the u. S. Drug lords like him would not be in business. For more, were going to record to mexico city where were joined by Laura Carlsen director , of the mexico citybased Americas Program of the center for international policy. And Elena Poniatowska is a founder of the newspaper la jornada and one of mexicos most beloved writers. Shes the recipient of the Miguel De Cervantes prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the spanish language. Welcome to democracy now your reaction to the capture of guzman and how he was captured . Well, he is the king of tunnels, as you can see. And he was captured. I think he was followed by the sincen government ever when he flew away the first time. Event as ifat this it was a national victory, which it is not. It is only it is only something that distracts mexico from the politics, the bad politics of a bad government. Can you talkrlsen, about what actually happened on january 8, how he was captured, what makes this different from his previous arrests and his two previous escapes . He was captured, as we all know, captured while he was escaping in the north is very well loved by people. He is considered a hero by many poor mexicans that have benefited from him as in colombia. Colombians is to benefit of public basketball pablo e scobar. Lords become kings because they do whatever the government doesnt do. In many cases, they help poor people and people love them will step they are kind of a robin hood. He was captured in his home the navy, which is been the preferred Security Force of the United States, and we have seen lately it is the navy that carries out these kinds of operations because they are more trusted and more supported with the cooperation from the u. S. Government, moved in in a sheate residence again as mentioned, he is the king of tunnels. He escaped the shootout in the residence and went down into the sewage system. He then later came up through a manhole, took a car and was captured on the highway. And one of the big differences within this case compared to the ture previously in 2014 which many people, including myself, that was probably the result of a prearranged agreement is that he was really on the run. And there was violence in this one. Five people were killed as opposed to the bloodless capture the last time. So it looked more like an authentic operation. Amy Laura Carlsen, can you talk about what you see as the significance of his capture and the u. S. Requesting his extradition, what he means a mexico . This high profile capture will have absolutely no impact unless it is a negative impact on the violence and organized crime caused by prohibition, both your mexico and the United States. We are ready know this. Thinking penn strategy of taking out the drug lords kingpins strategy to take out the drug lords in order to supposedly dismantle the Drug Trafficking organizations in the illegal trade has never worked. And here in mexico, it is well documented in leads to more violence. What we often see is a cartel faces turf force, faces challenges from rival cartels after a leader is taken out, and in some areas, the rivals see the parent cartel as weekend. And or, suffers a process of fragmentation were smaller cartels break off and they turn out to be more violent and more dangerous to the public in the original one. What we can unfortunately expect from this is a setback. In a setback in a sense that it is all over the news. A huge victory. And what it does, it reaffirms this drug war policy of the u. S. And the Mexican Government that has led to the death of more than 100,000 mexicans. Amy what could reduce the violence, laura . There are a lot of proposals out there, and one of them is legalization in the United States. Because it is prohibition that creates these illegal markets that are, of course, occupied by criminals, by definition. And so as those are taken out of their hands, their financial empire is reduced and the have less power tobuy the guns, to recruit young people, to buy the politicians, and operate freely the way they do here. Another of course and this is something that she is written on, ending the corruption. Because what were seeing here is maybe a victory, but in a war that is lost. And it is a war that in many ways is not even being fought because the Mexican Government is so invested on all levels in organized crime, that the impunity rates continue to be 90 . You could put some of you like el chapo behind bars, but what about the other criminals . What about the 26,000 disappeared who havent been found . Those are the root problems that she mentions were be distracted from because of all of this media blitz on the capture of el chapo. Amy were going to talk about that in a minute but i want to ask you, Elena Poniatowska, to expand on lauras point. Him ashapo, very bad for a man to be in prison in the United States because in mexico, you can get away from prisons very easily. And he can do it better than anyone else. And besides prisons in mexico are very different from the prisons in the United States. , besides el chapo being admired by the poor people, has many, many friends and im sure he has friends in the government. Amy before the break, i want to get a comment from each of you on sean penn and the interview that he did with el chapo, a secret meeting with him a few months ago, and whether you believe that it was his meeting with him that led to his arrest, Elena Poniatowska . Was. Is obvious it sean penn went to see him and had an interview through this new woman who gives her country to the spanish conquerors. She has this opportunity. She is on drugs or sell. Herself. I dont know how you said in english. Amy the intermediary. Yes, the intermediary. The gobetween was a very useful movie picture beautiful movie picture and this is a very beautiful at all. Anchor youre talking about kate del castillo. Right. This is a sideshow. In fact, the attorney general said he did have to do with his capture. What you see here is what happens when two massive male egos get together. El chapo, in this case, wanted to do a biotic and was smitten ,ith the actress Kate Castillo and sean penn looking for the adrenaline shot the same way. At the response of mexican people is, ok, so how did two actors drop in on el chapo gu zman, the most wanted man by the u. S. And Mexican Governments, when both governments have been searching for him, oftentimes for months, for years . Again, that raises the question of the capture of el chapo has never really been about how and these complicated and sophisticated operations, but simply when . And that is why mexican people are so skeptical about the timing of this and the fact it could really have a lot more to do with raising the image of the president Enrique Pena Nieto them with any huge victory in the drug war. Amy although, hollywood has been abuzz about sean penns interview, some have begun to question the ethics around the article, which was published by Rolling Stone. Actor alan cumming questioned the article was really journalism or celebrity stunt aimed at securing the rights to a biopic. And howt understand Rolling Stone could go and sanction him giving that guy, a wanted fugitive and then not tell the authorities. I dont know enough about it yet, but i do think it is a bit dodgy. Im not sure newspaper or magazine allowing [indiscernible] for people who are wanted for a very heinous crimes. You know, i dont know. The whole thing is a bit weird. Im sure it will make a great film. Aybe i will play sean i could do el chapo. I can get tan. Off, me and Cate Blanchett could do it. She could play sean and him will play the drug dealer. Amy that was the actor alan cumming. Elena poniatowska, your leading journalist in mexico. Youre the founder of the la jornada. It may well be the interview led to el chapos capture, but what are your thoughts . About what is happening . Amy about the interview, about sean penn meeting with him. It distracts as from the real problems. I think the capture, i think six months ago, no . News. Really good it was news and now it is just a story that you make up. That is what it is, no . Afterward, it will be a story for jokes and it is i dont i dont think it has any real depth or importance. Ethics arel us take highly questionable. In fact, i dont think this started out principally or was a journalistic endeavor. I dont think the article had really much to do with this meeting. This was about getting together, producer, because sean penn is primarily an actor producer, not a journalist, and you could tell that by reading the article, and an actress, beautiful actress, to talk about this biopic. So that raises even more journalistic questions. Any we come back from break, we will continue that discussion, Laura Carlsen, thank you for joining us, center for international policy. Elena poniatowska, we would like you to talk with us about mexico politics. Then we was the to a man who filmed the death of eric garner, the only one to be criminally charged in eric garner in this case not the officers, the man who filmed the debt. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [music break] amy el senor de la montana, by los canelos de durango. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. With Elena Poniatowska founder of the , newspaper la jornada and one of mexicos most beloved and acclaimed writers. Shes the recipient of the Miguel De Cervantes prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the spanish language. We are speaking to her in mexico city. You talked about, Elena Poniatowska, what needs to be done in mexico, what you think needs to be focused on. Can you expand on that . Yes, i think what is more important in mexico is education. It is for the children to be able to go to school. Of course, hunger is also a very big problem. But one that really, really for me is a painful is education. And there is very little money spent on education, on good teachers, on schools, even on rooms were children can go and work. And this is the worst problem in mexico. It has to be taking care of. And it has not been taking care of. I remember when i came to mexico, as a little girl, i. Oved my teacher i loved her. And she was a very good teacher. And now i dont know what with the teachers because i havent been in school, but i think children need education especially in ,he country, in el campo wherever, they need to eat and they need to be educated. Amy you wrote a book about a massacre of 1968. It was right before the olympics. Students were gunned down in mexico city. Now mexico is embroiled in. Nother massacre the students of the rural teachers college, 43 young men still not clear what happened to them. And you been focusing on this. What do you think how must this be investigated to find out the truth of what has happened to them . All,think that first of theyung students were students because they wanted to become teachers. Many of them wanted to be bilingual. They were very poor. Iguala has been rejected by the government because twome men wee considered [indiscernible] they were both teachers. After they were so disappointed by the government, they became guerrilla leaders. I dont know how you say it in english. Hated by theis government. Besides, it is being run by very corrupt, very, very corrupt governments. The students, sometimes they take advantage and take what they think belongs to them. But the students are young people, young people out of hope of mexico, the hope of any country. You people are the hope also of all the americas, of latino america. Instead of being taken into account and protected, they are murdered and killed. I dont know, maybe the fathers of these students, they tell you not to say that. They say theyre only disappeared. But after more than a year, how can you say theyre disappeared . And i think the army has a lot to do with this. The mexican army, of course. And i think the government is responsible for this. Wouldlena poniatowska, you talk about the government, what do you feel is the president s responsibility here . Well, yes taken absolutely no responsibility. I dont think the word responsibility exists for him. He doesnt know what it means. And the reaction of the entire country . I think the reason this massacre has gotten so much attention is the families, the communities, the massive protests that is continued even a year after the disappearances of the students, what difference that has made it is very important. Massacre, 1968, the there wasnt any response from society. Or there was a very low response, and now there is a response of students who organize themselves to the internet i dont know through the cell phones and [indiscernible] very well organized. Of course, newspapers like la jornada are still speaking about ayotzinapa and the students, the 43 who have disappeared. Amy you have also spoken out against the violence against journalists in mexico. One of the deadliest places for journalists. Journalists face. Especially in, the north in the city, i think we are safe except there was one journalist killed many years ago here in the city of mexico. He was murdered in the streets because he knew so much about drugs. Veryn the north, it is easy to disappear, journalists, and many women journalists who work in la jornado and a magazine that have been persecuted and who have suffered outt for trying to bring what is happening to the people. What is happening, specially the young people. Amy in mexico city, the museum a memory and tolerance has unveiled in altered to the journalist killed over the last decade, at least 30 to reporters killed in mexico since 1992, making it one of the deadliest places for journalists. Yes, i know. Yes, i have been a, of course. But what can i say about that, no . Andbelieve in the cultivating debt were speaking or writing only about death, i believe in life. I believe a country like mexico deserves does it is a wonderful comic store dairy country. Amy speaking to a u. S. Audience, also our audience is global, as we wrap up this discussion and focus on the u. S. Mexico relationship is very much in the media spotlight with the u. S. Asking for the extradition of el chapo right now, what do you think is the u. S. Responsibility and what the United States should be doing in this war on drugs that has killed so many people . Well, the drugs, they all go to the United States. The United States is the consumer of drugs, much more than in latin america and much more than an mexico. The one whomer, asks for the drugs, the one who buys the drugs, is obviously [indiscernible] the one [indiscernible] responsible one. And finally, the issue of immigration yes, in many ways we are responsible the United States is responsible for buying what hurts the country. Amy finally, the issue of immigration. Seen a year, 2016, has series of raids of immigrant families in the United States. Your thoughts on the was policy toward immigrants and the president ial candidates statements like Donald Trumps saying that a wall should be built, that undocumented immigrants should all be removed from the country, all 11 million, 12 Million People . Mexico has not been able to feed 12 Million People. That is why they all go to the United States. But we are countries of immigrants. My name is not exactly mexican. My name is polish, of polish origin. Ares not because we countries of immigrants, the United States is a country of immigrants. So immigrants are the future of the world. If the world has a future. So i dont know, what can i say about this . I think people, a man and a woman and children should be very well treated in this world, should be treated well in mexico, treated well in europe, treated well in asia, and that and the universe is being treated like trash. So this is where the world has become, has become the worst , ofy finally of man manhood. I dont know, my english isnt so good. What we do to each other. , thankena poniatowska you for being with us, founder of the newspaper la jornada and one of mexicos most beloved writers recipient of the miguel , de cervantes prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the spanish language. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. When we come back, we will be joined by eric garner plus daughter. Eric garner is the 43yearold africanamerican man in Staten Island who well over a year ago was killed by new york police, put in a chokehold and taken down. The reason we know exactly what happened is because of the video that was taken at that moment. We will also be joined by the young man who videoed the Police Taking down of eric garner, ramsey orta joins us. Stay with us. [music break] amy awake ballad for tamir, by blitz the ambassador. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. In the 18 months since eric garners death at the hands of new york city police, his family has led a tireless campaign for charges against the officers involved. Now one officer is finally facing charges, to parental charges, but she is not one of the officers directly involved in his death by chokehold. Instead, Sergeant Kizzy adonis, who is africanamerican, faces internal departmental charges of failing to supervise. Adonis was one of two supervising officers who responded to the scene and watched it unfold. She has been stripped of her badge and gun. The internal charges against adonis come just over a year after grand jury decided not to indict white officer Daniel Pantaleo for taking garners life. After officer pantaleo pulled garner to the ground in the chokehold, officers then piled as garner said, i cant breathe, 11 times. The officers had confronted garner for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. His family reached a 5. 9 million settlement with new york city in july. Officer pantaleo remains under Justice Department investigation. While some have welcomed the charges against Sergeant Adonis as a step forward in the case, eric garners daughter, erica, has spoken out in her defense. Erica garner says adonis was the only officer at the scene who tried to save her fathers life. And while adonis is the first officer to face reprimand, she the only person is been criminally charged was at the scene that day is not enough assert. Not an officer. Ramsey orta, the man who filmed the fatal chokehold on his cell phone and released the footage, has been arrested multiple times by police since garners death. Ramsey orta says police have deliberately targeted him for capturing garners death on video and exposing it to the world. Supporters including erica garner joined orta on monday for a Court Appearance on Staten Island. Erica garner refers to ramsey orta as the only man charged in my dads death. Well, to discuss these latest developments, erica garner and ramsey orta join us now. And we are joined in San Francisco by reggie harris, a member of the black organizing project and an adviser to erica garner. Lets begin with you, erica. Talk about this latest news. Im in, a grand jury did not indict any officers, but the new York Police Department has brought the sergeant, the onervising officer adonis up department of charges. Your thoughts . It was no surprise. In the beginning when the report was being leaked to the media, we already knew that they were highlighting kizzy adonis actions, the fact that she light on the report. A year and a half amy what was the line . That my dad was and in distress. She heard him say i cant breathe, but she believed he wasnt in distress, which is clearly a lie. So year and a half later, for them to charge her for failure to supervise, i think it is ridiculous. I think it is a political move. As you caners, clearly see him the video, and she did say you got them already she is a supervising officer and they disobeyed a direct order. Argument ams my. Rticle or Youtube Video if you can find charges or enough charges to charge this black lady on failure to supervise, there were a lot of cops on scene that day. And how come the other sergeant was in charged yet . Wasnt charged yet . Howe the citys mayor come mayor deblasio and william bratton, the commissioner a lot of people should be charged with failure to supervise because they failed us on that day. Amy what has happened to officer pantaleo, the man who put your dad in a chokehold . He still has his job. You still getting kate. Hes still walking the streets of Staten Island. He is still being this monster to the black community in Staten Island. Even though he is put on modified duty, he is still running amok in Staten Island, so, nothing. Call the new York Police Department. They said they would not come on but segregation era Sergeant Kizzy adonis of the 120th precinct was served with disciplinary charges today connection with the nypd internal review of the july 17, 2014 incident in Staten Island involving eric garner. Sergeant adonis has also been placed on modified assignment status. Im aware of that. That is not enough. If she is charged, that means you are admitting that a murder went down in my dads case. You are expressing new york is dispersing the new York Police Department is not taking it lightly, but they are saying that something wrong with down. Amy interestingly, they said at the request of the us attorney for the Eastern District of new york the internal disciplinary review of the garner incident has been placed on hold pending federal inquiry. The nypd in consultation with u. S. Attorneys office served the Department Old charges at this time in order to preserve the disciplinary statute of limitations and it goes on from there. Inquiry and federal what do understand is happening . I think all of these investigations going on the second game of pingpong. They keep on bouncing backandforth. Im waiting for this, waiting for that. I sat on a Panel Last Month with the civil rights liberty and it was representative from the department of justice and i clearly looked the man in the eye and i asked him, i was like, if i was your family member, would you tell me the same thing that i need to wait to see venue charges or anything it is like, basically, if youre in my position, how to feel if i was your daughter . I told them, basically, time is up. We demand answers so we can have closure. This is been dragging on for a year and a half and there is no sense for it to be a year and a half if you can come up 18 months later and say, oh, well, this black officer kizzy adonis is guilty of failure to supervise. That is the only answer that we got after your nap. Amy a want to go back to that the policest 2014 to it was july 2014. Ramsey orta. We have seen your video. Countless times. The world has seen this video, but we are rarely heard your voice. Talk about what you saw happen what inspired you to flip open your cell phone and start filming . What i saw that day was nypd murder my friend. And what inspired me to take the video, because i have passed videos of nypd abusing their power with people i associate with. Amy and so you started filming. Yes. Amy you didnt stop. No. Amy your hand is remarkably steady as we show this video. What were you thinking . Its about to go down. I had to make sure i stood there and make sure i got every detail and i did miss nothing and i didnt miss nothing. Feelingwere you as you are filming . Upset. You can hear me running my mouth of the video, but i was highly upset. Amy what were you saying . Cursing, calling them names. , telling them to leave him alone. And that i have witnessed that he wasnt selling any loose cigarettes and had just broke up a fight. Amy expand that. He was known for selling loose cigarettes, but actually on this day, there been a fight in the street and he is gone to mediate the fight, like to try to break it up . A fight had broken out two feet away from us. He jumped up and separated them. As soon as he separated them, the cops came out of the car and targeted eric. What has happened to you since july 17, 2014 . First, what did you do with that video . [indiscernible] got in contact with me and asked of finding the pictures. I told them i had the video. Ticket from there. He took it from there. From then on, ive been targeted by nypd. I have five pending cases right now, to Supreme Court and three in criminal. Since then, ive just been , almost killed it records island. Amy we interviewed your aunt at the time you were there. I was there for two separate times, one for 60 days and one for 30 days, i believe. In the 60 days stay was the time i went on the hunger strike. Amy for how long . A month and a half. Amy what were you striking the about . The rat poison and i didnt want to eat anything. Amy what you mean . There was rat poison in the food. Amy did you think youre being targeted . Yes. Amy you were arrested and your wife was also arrested . She got arrested for assault allegedlyat was caught on camera. Now we come here today and the charges brought up against her are dropped. Amy you have been arrested for drug offenses. In one of those arrests, you said the Police Officer said you, you video us, and now were videoing you. Can you what that was and what they said . Clearly, when they jumped out , the first thing they came out, you filmed us and now we are filming you. Because i asked why they had their cameras out. When they jumped out on me, they had their phones in her hand mytead of a gun, for knowledge, which was supposed to be in their hands. I asked why he was filming me. He said, because you filmed us. Filmede you sorry you the death of your friend eric garner . No. Amy are you sorry you put it off for the world to see . No. Im sorry for not having a Legal Defense before actually took the video out there. Other than that, i dont regret nothing. Amy what you mean . As far as lawyers and people that i know that can protect me from any retaliation from happening. Amy have you sued the new York Police Department . No. Amy to plan to . Yes. Amy why . They took my lifes friend away. What you say to ramsey orta , erica, soon after your dad died, there was a big service in Staten Island at a church and went ramsey ortas name was mentioned, the entire all of the people there in this church was packed to the rafters, plotted. What has ramsey orta meant to you and your family . Like a hero. I just want to say that hearing him, being in the same room with him, hearing the words coming out of his mouth instead of just reading it in a newspaper, it really hits home. Theres a lot of craziness in the beginning, but my family always respected the fact that he recorded this video. But, you know, in a way i feel like i could have been there for him a little bit more, but i just i just dont know how. Like, we was put in a position, both our lives was destroyed. I get harassed on twitter. You know, he get harassed in person. Im just here for him. Whatever he needs. I want to use, you know, whatever im doing, the work im ng now to really capture he is a really been recognized in the media, and i just want to, you know, be able to project that to the world. You know, about the way things whatned, knowing firsthand was going on with his cases and keeping people updated on what hes been charged with in his cases and stuff, i just want to offer support. You know, my family we talk about him a lot, you know, and disgusting howis they want to keep targeting him. The he was in jail and with rat poison in his food, like, i was hurt. Like, he is a ready there and not supposed to be there, and now you are trying to kill him. Amy what proof did you have that there was rat poison in your food, ramsey . I was serving the food, for one. A couple of my friends had seen some of the food. With the time came, we gave it to the department of health and they brought back the labs showing it was rat poison. Amy were also joined by reggie harris, adviser to erica garner, director of organizing of the black organizing project, speaking to us from San Francisco. Theyou talk about significance of what is taking place right now . Eric garners family, the latest news with a grand jury refusing to indict the prosecutor in the case now the Congress Member from Staten Island. But one officer has been internally charged, not criminally indicted, kizzy adonis. Your thoughts . Forirst of all, thank you having me. Ramsey, i could not be there in the room with you, that you are a hero. I am here for you anyway i can be. Just a little bit of background about Staten Island, is populated largely over the south side of the island from people or by people from South Brooklyn that went there as a result of white flight. So you have a tension there between the people on the south side of the island and the people in the north side of the island. Eric garner was killed on the north side of the island. Most of the minority are located on the north side of the island. However, three out of every five new york city Police Officers island. N staten and so when you look at ,ituations where Daniel Donovan the da at the time, getting promoted now to congress and he runs this entire race without mentioning eric garner hardly at all, we are looking at situations where on that island now dust because politically, you want to appease the Police Officers that reside there, you know, they have been endorsing , at theahon, the new da same time while you have pat lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent association, police union, endorsing the same man it is an incestuous a desk kind of a coverup and double dealings. The democrats on Staten Island are no better than the republicans. And when you take a look at amy reggie, before we wrap up, i want to ask erica is used to give out commerce, are you thinking of running for congress . I want to organize the black and brown folk on Staten Island. I want to knock on doors and ask the people of Staten Island about their issues firsthand because no one is talking about what is going on in Staten Island. Run fordo decide to congress, i want to, you know, be one of those elected officials that get into office and dont turn their backs on people. I want to be one who wants to hold people accountable and get the corrupted out. Treat thebe able to same way how they treat whistleblowers, i want to be able to point out the corrupted elected officials and get them out. Amy and what are your plans, ramsey . To keep spreading the word of cop watch and make sure everyone has knowledge. Amy you are going to keep filming . Yes most of amy we will continue this conversation and put it online at democracynow. Org. 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