JUSTICE FOR PEDRO OREGON COALITION (JPOC)
P.O. Box 130322, Houston, TX 77219, 713/653-9029
To join, e-mail: justiceforpedro@juno.com.

WEEKLY MEETINGS every Saturday at SHAPE Community Center:
3903 Almeda (near Alabama), 2:00 p.m. or TBA: 713/653-9029

TOWNHALL MEETING BROADCASTS

Our recent Townhall Meeting was taped by Access Houston Community TV. There are two broadcast dates scheduled so far and probably more to follow.

The first is: February 5, 1999 1:00 pm
The second is: February 8, 1999 9:30 pm

The channels vary but Warner Cable is #17, TCI is #66, 82 or 96, other companies vary. We'll try to send out more broadcast dates as we get them, or contact Access Houston Community TV at 713/524-7700.

  • Opening Speech by panelist Britt Coleman (includes account of the shooting and related cases of police brutality in Houston)
  • Response to Statement by Johnny Holmes, District Attorney
  • Coalition Building through Corpus Justice
  • For a copy of the HPD mission statement, click here
  • For other Constitutional policies and ethics codes, click here

    Volunteer Emily Nghiem still needs help to translate these into Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages for a legal literacy campaign to establish a civil rights center and museum in Houston. e-mail: isocracy@juno.com.

    PROTEST SHAM TRIAL!

    Monday, March 8, 1999, 8:30 am, at the Harris County Courthouse -- Courtroom #8 -- 301 San Jacinto (at Prairie).

    Protest Sham Trial! Beginning of misdemeanor trespass trial of Officer James Willis. Wear black clothing and black ribbons.

    See below for other activities of interest in the upcoming week. If you have an activity you want posted let us know!

  • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1999, 7:00 pm
    Kuumba Players in: "Lest We Forget" -- A dramatic journey into the devastating experience of chattel slavery in America. Presented by Black Action Movement. Houston Room, University Center, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun.

  • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1999, 7:00 pm
    Mumia Abu Jamal and Shaka Sankofa/Gary Graham: The death penalty as a weapon of repression and genocide. Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, SHAPE Community Center, and Houstonians United for Mumia (HUM). Shape Community Center, 3903 Almeda (near Alabama).

  • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1999, 4:00 pm
    Protest, to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, Market Square (Travis and Preston)

  • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1999, 11:00 am
    Gulfton Car Caravan -- Justice for Pedro! Join us at Hillcroft and Bellaire. Bring your car to join caravan through Gulfton area and spread word about Pedro Oregon.

    PREVIOUS ACTIONS:

  • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1999, 4:30 pm
    Picket Line and Press Conference demanding that federal authorities immediately indict the six police officers for the death of Pedro Oregon. Following appearance of officers who killed Pedro Oregon before a Federal Grand Jury. Entrance to U.S. District Federal Court, 515 Rusk (Rusk & Smith).

  • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1999, 2:00 pm
    Justice for Pedro Oregon Organizational Meeting: SHAPE Community Center, 3901 Almeda (near Alabama). Other meetings TBA, call: 713/653-9029.
    [Townhall Speech][ Citizens' Response][Constitutional Policies][Coalition Building][Houston Progressive Index]
    See more below on original JPOC demands, members, and actions.

    JUSTICE FOR PEDRO OREGON!

    * Protests * Public Demands * Call for Reform *

    IMPORTANT DATES - UPCOMING EVENTS:

    • * PICKET - Saturday, August 15, 10:00 a.m. at the Southwest Police Station (4503 Beechnut at 610 Loop) followed by a COALITION MEETING at 12:00 noon, at the St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 1505 Kane, (713)222-6193.

    * PROTEST - Monday, August 17, 10:00 a.m. Harris County Courthouse, 301 San Jacinto (between Preston and Congress Streets, downtown) For more information, contact Benito Juarez at (713)926-2890, fax: 926-2877.

    * FAMILIES of Pedro Oregon and Oliver Rodriguez, Jr. SPEAK OUT - Wednesday, August 19, 1998, 7:00 p.m. Chapultepec Restaurant, 813 Richmond Ave. (east of Montrose Blvd.) For more information, contact: La Resistencia at (713)521-3099.

    * NATIONAL PROTEST on October 22, 1998 to Stop Police Brutality: 1-888-NO-BRUTALITY or www.unstoppable.com. e-mail: Oct22@unstoppable.com. Contributions may also be sent to: IFCO/Oct 22nd c/o KHL, Inc. 160 First Ave. NY, NY 10009 or contact: La Resistencia, P.O. Box 2823, Houston, TX 77252-2823.

    * GROUP TESTIMONIES to be given before City Council and the County Commissioners' Court and to be gathered from the community. To participate in these actions, call Benito at (713)926-2890 or Marilyn at (281)405-8998.

    At the first meeting to form the Justice for Pedro Oregon Coalition, the following demands were put forth:

    PROPOSED DEMANDS:
    1. Justice for Pedro Oregon and his family.
    2. Murder charges and life sentencing for the police responsible.
    3. Recognition of civil and human rights of immigrants.
    4. Restitution for the family.
    5. Public apology by the Police Department.
    6. Legal expenses provided for the family.
    7. End to police brutality.
    8. Formation of community-based review board with power and publicly funded.

    The following activists were present (organizations listed for identification only):

    Ellen Burns	Houston Peace and Justice Center		(713)723-9275
		Pax Christi
Tony Cantu		Human Rights Activist			(281)493-1212
		(Response to Statement by Johnny Holmes, D.A.)
Susan Clements	Corporate Justice				(713)863-8046
Casey Davis	Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty	(713)522-7880
Nora Dwyer		Human Rights Activist			(713)528-1817
Joanne Gavin	All Peoples Congress				(281)523-8454
Robert Gartner	Fathers for Justice				(713)607-6960
Marilyn Head	Corpus Justice, Inc.				(281)405-8998
Gelel Houston		Human Rights Activist			(713)669-9909
Cristobal Hinojosa	Zapatista Zolidarity Movement		(713)697-0236
Benito Juarez	Houston Immigration and Refugee Coalition	(713)926-2890
Travis Morales	La Resistencia					(713)521-3099
Emily Nghiem	Houston Progressive Online			(713)867-5998
		(See Houston Police Dept. mission statement) 
Pat Nichols	Houston Peace Forum				(281)681-6267
Karen Pecnik	TCADP/Corpus Justice, Inc.			(713)956-0727
Aaron Ruby		Human Rights Activist			(713)662-3313
		e-mail: aaronruby@compuserve.com
Gloria Rubac	All Peoples Congress				(713)861-5965
Alejandra Rincon	Human Rights Activist			(713)662-3313
Gloria Trevino		Human Rights Activist			(281)752-8884
Francisco Urguia	Human Rights Activist			(281)752-8884
Sarah Zein		Human Rights Activist			(281)988-7231

    The following organizations are also recommended for future coalition development or legal research:

    * Texas Justice Coalition www.informed.org
13164 Memorial Dr., Suite 152, Houston TX 77079
(an umbrella organization which includes:
* Texans for Justice (713)222-9600
http://freeweb.pdq.net/texansforjustice/
* Network for Justice
* and other governmental reform groups)
* Justice For All (713)935-9300 fax: 935-9301
(See also http://www2.jfa.net/jfa)
* Harris County Council of Organizations (281)629-6990 fax: (713)731-7447
* Constitutional Study Group
(meets Mondays at 7:00 p.m. at Shoney's restaurant on Hillcroft near 59 S)

    Please call (713)926-2890, fax (713)926-2877, or e-mail: tonycantu@aol.com if you would like to join the coalition or volunteer for a committee task force such as:

  • OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
  • NEWS MEDIA
  • FUNDRAISING
  • COALITION BUILDING
  • COMMUNITY MOBILIZING
  • LEGAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  • RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION (call CORPUS JUSTICE at 281-405-8998)

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