Protest Set For Racial Beating Case

Thousands Expected In Small La. Town; Black Teens Accused Of Beating White Student

(AP)  At the center of the protests are a group of black teenagers who have come to be called the Jena Six. At issue is whether they have been treated fairly since racial tensions that began simmering at Jena High School more than a year ago when a black student expressed interest in sitting under a tree where whites usually congregated.

The next day, three nooses were found hanging from the tree; that led to the suspension of three white students and later reports of fights at the school, culminating in December's attack on white student Justin Barker, who was knocked unconscious, his face badly swollen and bloodied.

While one of the six black students was booked as a juvenile in the beating, five were charged as adults with attempted second-degree murder, which could have meant 50 years in prison for each. There followed protests that the charges were racially motivated and overblown. District Attorney Reed Walters has denied the accusation.

But the charges have since been reduced for all but one of the defendants.

Walters broke a long public silence Wednesday afternoon during a news conference outside the courthouse, accompanied by Barker and his parents, who all declined to speak.

Walters again denied that racism had anything to do with the charges and said Barker's suffering has been largely ignored. "With all the emphasis on the defendant, the injury done to him and the serious threat to his existence has become a footnote," Walters said.

He noted that aside from Bell and one other juvenile the other defendants in the case were all of adult age under Louisiana law. He also noted that Bell has a criminal record including juvenile convictions for damage to property and battery. And he also addressed the hanging of the nooses from the Jena High School tree. "I cannot overemphasize what a villainous act that was. The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town," Walters said. But he also added that he could find no statute in Louisiana law under which they could be prosecuted.

So far, the only one of the "Jena Six" to be tried is Mychal Bell, who was 16 at the time of the attack. His conviction on aggravated second-degree battery could have sent him to prison for 15 years, but it was overturned last week when a state appeal court said Bell, who has maintained his innocence in court, should not have been tried as an adult.

Bell remains jailed while prosecutors prepare an appeal of the latest court ruling. The Rev. Al Sharpton, an organizer of the protest, met Bell at the courthouse Wednesday morning.

"It breaks our hearts to see him in handcuffs and leg shackles, but his spirit is high," Sharpton said after the meeting.

Sharpton said Bell is heartened by the show of support and wants to make sure it stays peaceful.

"He doesn't want anything done that would disparage his name - no violence, not even a negative word," Sharpton said.

Marchers were expected to start gathering at 5 a.m. Thursday. The two-mile march was to begin at 7 a.m. and take protesters on a route that would pass Jena High - and the stump of the infamous tree that authorities had removed in July.

Some businesses in town planned to shut down during the demonstrations. Shirley Martin, whose daughter, Tina Norms, decided to close Cafe Martin on Wednesday, said she doubts it will open Thursday, even though the rally is expected to end by midmorning.

"That sounds fine. Maybe we can get our town back in order for us to work the next day," she said.

At least one business in town was trying to show civic pride. "Jena, La." said the T-shirts on display in one apparel store window. "Still a great place to call home."

In New Orleans, another entrepreneur was showing support for, and cashing in on, the protest. Charley "Whaler" Arceneaux said he had sold hundreds of "Free the Jena Six" T-shirts over the past several days. He planned to join Thursday's events, putting a sign saying "Closed: Gone to free the Jena Six" on the door of Whaler's Custom T-Shirts and Signs.

[toseeclearly]

I first saw this on TV. However they covered the protest more than the actual trial. After reading this story here on CBS. I''m having trouble seeing what the problem here is. A person was beaten to supposed near death. Witness saw it happen. By law that young African man should be charged according to state law. Being African American should not make you exempt from the law. The charges were reduced on the other 5. So they must have real evidence that the young African American in question is guilty otherwise they wouldn''t pursue it in court. The NAACP should be ashamed for trying to free a guilty man just cause of his skin color. I feel this will only raise racial tensions. If the Jena 6 are set free with no punishment given This will only backfire on the black community. This looks like nothing more than the NAACP using this case to launch African American abuse in the legal court system. I don''t understand why they are using this as catalyst for their movement seeing has how the man is most likely guilty. Come on people the white kid didn''t beat up himself.

[michellem99-2009]

This is so sad that as a people we let skin colour and hate ruin this nation. Amreica the nation I was taught to love. Her lovely flag and we can''t get a long. American I am. I know we have problems. There is no need to beat any one. After 9/11 We was one America..What happened to that unity..We need to come together as a people and mean it when we say God Bless America. She is our Nation of our birth.