by Robert Lederman(3/27/99), President of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics)<ARTISTpres@aol.com>
provided through OPENAIR-MARKET NET
Under fierce pressure from Mayor Giuliani and his influential backers much of the media continues to distort coverage of the Diallo protests in a transparent effort to salvage the Mayor's plummeting career. As a participant from the first day at One Police Plaza I can attest that the overwhelming majority of the participants are not indiscriminately bashing cops. The protest is first and foremost against the Mayor and his misuse of the NYPD for personal political gain. For all of his supposed support for police our cowardly Mayor has deflected criticism towards the cops, who follow orders, and away from himself, the man giving the orders. Yes, there is a problem with racism in the NYPD. That problem begins with its policies, all of which are set each Monday morning at One Police Plaza by the Mayor. In a Machiavellian tactic calculated to further enrage the public against the police Giuliani is giving the Street Crimes Unit's officers a raise and a promotion to detective. Even their fellow officers think this is absurd. What is needed now is not more phony "meetings" with minority officials but a new Mayor. He must resign or be removed from office before another incident like the Diallo shooting happens and plunges the City into chaos.
Robert Lederman, President of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics), (718) 369-2111
Email: ARTISTpres@aol.com
Website: http://www.openair.org/alerts/artist/nyc.html