Monday & Tuesday #DropEmCville Actions for Donald Blakney & Corey Long
We demand Justice for Corey and Justice for Donald.
Black Lives Matter-Charlottesville, Congregate Charlottesville, Showing up for Racial Justice-Charlottesville and other local groups and community members will hold two actions this week to call for Justice for Donald Blakney and Corey Long:
1. Monday, April 16, 9:15-10:00 am, outside Charlottesville Circuit Courthouse. A small group of community members will gather outside of the courthouse during grand jury proceedings in support of Donald Blakney. Based on Commonwealth Attorney Joe Platania’s continued prosecution for Donald, the grand jury will be deciding whether to indict him on felony charges. Community members will gather outside the courtroom as a show of continued support for Donald. There is no large demonstration planned on that day.
2. Tuesday, April 17, 10 am, Charlottesville General District Court: Court Support at Corey Long’s Trial. Community members will be present inside and outside Charlottesville General District Court to call for Justice for Corey Long. Commonwealth Attorney Joe Platania will be prosecuting Corey for misdemeanor charges, and there may be a verdict determined on Tuesday. The organizers of the Drop The Charges campaign have been putting out a public call for community members to show up for Corey as they did for DeAndre Harris.
Statement from the Organizers:
The DROP THE CHARGES campaign organizers were heartened by DeAndre Harris’s rightful acquittal last month, as he never should have been charged with a crime in the first place. The community must realize, however, that Commonwealth Attorney Joe Platania continues to charge two other Black men, Corey Long and Donald Blakney, for simply asserting their humanity in the face of the white supremacist attacks on Charlottesville on August 12.
After August 12, thousands of people across the country celebrated Corey Long’s image as a symbol of resistance to the violent white supremacist attack on Charlottesville. Fewer people know of Donald Blakney, a Black community member who came to see what was happening on Market Street on August 12, only to be spat on, slapped, pepper sprayed, and called racial slurs by white supremacists and nazis. While the police stood aside and did nothing, as documented in the Heaphy report, Corey and Donald showed up to protect Charlottesville from the white supremacist violence.
However, based on the testimony of white supremacists, Commonwealth Attorney Joe Platania has decided to prosecute Corey Long on misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges, and to prosecute Donald Blakney on felony charges of malicious wounding. The DROP THE CHARGES campaign organizers remind Mr. Platania that he still has the power to drop these charges and urge him to, so as to avoid further traumatizing these men and this community.
“We cannot accept a ‘justice’ system that stands by while white supremacists attack a community and then helps those same white supremacists target their victims in court. We are outraged that Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania continues to cooperate with the white supremacists by prosecuting these wrongful and racist charges.” — Ben Doherty, organizer with Showing Up for Racial Justice-Charlottesville
“These ongoing criminal charges are part of a strategy employed by white supremacists to weaponize the courts against Black people by first inciting violence, and then pressing charges. That strategy did not work in DeAndre Harris’ case and we cannot let it work against Corey Long and Donald Blakney. As we approach a possible Unite the Right “reunion” rally in August 2018, we must let these white supremacists know that they cannot use both violence and the court system against us.” — Lisa Woolfork, organizer with Black Lives Matter-Charlottesville
“We hope to show the Charlottesville community’s widespread support for Corey Long and Donald Blakney, and our outrage at their unjust treatment in the courts. Corey and Donald showed up to protect this community on August 12th; now it’s our turn to show up and protect them.” — Grace Aheron, organizer with Showing Up for Racial Justice-Charlottesville
