PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

A federal jury unanimously ruled that two Pennsylvania state police troopers used excessive force and intentionally shot 12-year-old Michael Ellerbe in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in December 2002. On March 11th the jury awarded Ellerbe's family more than $28 million dollars in punitive and compensatory damages.

Over five years ago, 12 year old Michael Ellerbe, an unarmed black boy, was shot in the back by State Troopers Samuel Nassan and Juan Curry as he allegedly ran from a stolen vehicle. While his family and community decried his death as excessive force no serious investigation was launched into Ellerbe's case.

Shortly after his son's death, Michael Hickenbottom,  sued both State Troopers saying that they violated his son's constitutional rights. Over 5 years later, a jury has ruled on this suit and unanimously decided that both Trooper Nassan and Corporal Curry  had intentionally shot Michael Ellerbe.  The verdict refuted trooper Nassan's claim that his gunfire to the 12 year old's back was precipitated by the sound of his partner's gunshot.

While Michael Hickenbottom said he felt somewhat vindicated by the verdict but wonders why a major question has gone unanswered.

"Why did you shoot, I just want to know why did you shoot him in the back," said Hickenbottom at a press conference following the verdict.

According to community activists this historic case shows that those who fight tirelessly against police brutality can win.  "I'm hoping that this will send a clear message to police everywhere, that you can not just kill anyone like this and not be punished," says Celeste Taylor a long time anti-police brutality activist.

Latest coverage: Listen to a radio report from Pittsburgh on the case, featured nationally on Free Speech Radio News.

More on this case will follow!

Previous coverage of Michael Ellerbe's case:

[ Uniontown March Against Police Violence | U.S. Attorney Drops Ellerbe's Civil Rights Case | Downtown Pittsburgh March Against Police Violence ]

Seven years ago, the Federal Communications Commission recognized the need for more diverse programming on the airwaves and allowed for the licensing of new Low Power FM radio stations. This new broadcasting window was immediately closed due to lobbying by powerful commercial radio interests.  Educational institutions, labor unions, churches, towns, and community groups seeking to start Low Power radio stations have faced restrictive license requirements that limit community access to the airwaves.  The Local Community radio act, recently approved by the Senate Commerce committee, should ease these restrictions and allow for hundreds of new non-commercial stations.  In the coming months legislative versions of the Local Community Radio Act will appear before the full Senate and House of Representatives.

[ Full article ]

[ Free Speech Radio News story (4:58) ]

[ Rustbelt Radio story (12:42) ]

[ More info on the Prometheus Radio Project website ]

From the open newswire: An open letter to the fake grassroots organization, created by lobbyists and PR firms, that is meant to appear local and spontaneous in its opposition to the propsed 10% drink tax.

The letter's author later posted a correction based upon correspondence with local restaraunt owners.

[ Read article and correction ]

On Friday, March 30, Allegheny County's Port Authority Board voted 8-1 to cut bus service by 15 percent. The service cuts will go into effect on June 17th. In addition, transit workers will face a salary and benefits freeze, and ACCESS (a service for senior citizens and persons with disabilities) will see a $.50 increase by July 1st. Bus service could be cut an additional 10% in September if the Port Authority can't fill the remaining $45 million deficit.

Save Our Transit held an overnight an overnight vigil leading up to the Port Authority Board's meeting in which the proposal was voted on. Members of Save Our Transit and the Campaign to Stop the Bus Cuts say they will keep fighting to stop the cuts. from going into effect

[  Service cuts details |  audio from 3/28 vigil |  Rustbelt radio Rustbelt TV ]

On Saturday, March 24th, one day after the House voted to give Bush another $100 billion to continue wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 1,200 took to the streets of Oakland to demand, "Education not Occupation, Healthcare not Warfare, Buses not Bombs," and Bring the Troops Home Now."

Leading the 1.5 mile march organized by the Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee were members of Iraq Vets Against the War and Veterans for Peace, followed by high school and college students comprising a "youth against enlistment" contingent. Adding to the festive nature of the march was a marching band and a cluster of anarchists carrying more than a dozen large black flags.

A separate "feeder march" organized by the Anti-War Committee and SEIU 1199P stepped off from the VA Hospital in North Oakland, in which activists sought to draw attention to the inadequate health care and treatment of thousands of wounded Iraq vets. There was also a women's feeder march organized by CodePink and other women's group and a feeder that began at the Friends Meeting House in Oakland.

Saturday's march capped off anniversary actions that started last week. On Saturday, March 18, Pittsburghers boarded a bus to Washington DC for a March on the Pentagon. On Monday night, Pittsburghers Against War Supplementals held a vigil outside Congressmen Mike Doyle's office, and Pittsburgh Organizing Group picketed the Oakland recruiting station before marching to CMU. From Friday night through Saturday morning, as many as 60 activists stopped by an all-night candlelight vigil at the Community of Reconciliation Church in Oakland.

[ photos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |  Rustbelt Radio coverage ]

On Friday March 2nd the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and other activists from Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Chicago came together early in the morning to protest Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center. Organizing under the slogan "Barricade the War Machine," they succeeded in hutting down the Lawrenceville facility for the day.  NREC is a largely Pentagon-funded venture of CMU, and it has become a world leader in warfare robotics.

In order to disrupt the normal proceedings at NREC, a blockade of their front and rear entrances was organized.  A tripod, which suspended an activist 15 feet in the air, also prevented people from entering the building. In total, thirty-four people blockaded the main entrances to the facility in the largest act of civil disobedience in Pittsburgh since the war in Iraq began. For several hours, police were unable to cut the protestors loose, which allowed the blockade to last for over 5 hours.

Members of POG are declaring the action a success. As of 4:00 AM, on Saturday March 3rd, all 14 arrestees were arraigned and released. They are being charged with failure to disperse, obstruction of a public highway, and possession of instruments of a crime with criminal intent. Those who live in the Pittsburgh area were released on their own recognizance, while non-locals had to post a $100 bail. Their hearing will take place March 8th.

[ Report | Photos | link to video ]

City Council Member Bill Peduto is challenging Incumbent Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in the next mayoral Democratic primary.  Both candidates are promoting themselves as the environmentally friendly choice.

So which of these candidates is really green?  Local activist Stephen Donahue says the answer is neither.

[ Read more ]

Update: Bill Peduto has since withdrawn from the mayoral primary.

Victory has come for activists and residents who have been fighting the development of a Casino in the Hill District.  On December 20th the state Gaming Control Board granted PITG Gaming Majestic Star the casino license to construct a a slot machine parlor on the North Side near the Carnegie Science Center.

In the preceding months an Anti-Casino on the Hill movement had been gaining momentum. On Saturday, December 16th over 100 Hill District Residents and supporters gathered on Freedom Corner to say "not one more inch". This phrase was a throwback to the 1950's when thousands of residents were evicted for the Mellon Arena and development in the Lower Hill.  They vowed that this harmful development would not come "one inch" further and destroy more of their neighborhood.

[ Photos from the Dec. 16 rally | Photos from previous rallies ]

Many speakers at this rally likened the construction of the Isle of Capri casino to the 1950's development that severed the HIll District from Downtown. They called upon their ancestors who had a long history of struggling against wrongdoings and said that they took inspiration from them in this fight against the Casino.  One Hill District resident, Mary Young, spoke of the havoc that gambling had reeked in her family while others spoke of the harm that a gambling facility can bring into an already struggling neighborhood.  Bruce Barron of No Dice, and Sharon Capretto of CasinoFree Pittsburgh spoke of the problems that casinos bring to any neighborhood.

[ Listen to audio clips from the rally ]

[ Listen to previous audio reports: Rustbelt Radio documentary: No Casinos on the Hill (27:14 mp3) | November 6 update:   Raise your Hand rally (11:08 mp3) ]

With the Gaming Control Board's decision to allow a Casino on the North Shore, many are rejoicing that it is not on the Hill but others feel defeated since a Casino is still being constructed in the City of Pittsburgh.

[ See previous Pittsburgh IMC feature coverage | Read No Casino on the Hill by Andalusia Knoll ]

The state Gaming Control Board also chose two casino locations for the city of Philadelpha, and Philly Indymedia has been covering the issue from their end of the state.

[ Philly IMC: The Casino Decisions: Broken Politics All The Way Down | The Casinos are Coming - an extensive resource ]

On November 24, 2006, local members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), joined by Friends of Labor supporters from across the city, participated in the IWW Starbucks Union's Global Days of Action" in a picket held in Squirrel Hill. For an hour, over twenty workers supporting the Starbucks Workers Union carried picket signs and loudly chanted in front of the Starbucks at the corner of Forbes and Shady Avenue. This action was part of a broader movement in many cities around the world to protest Starbucks' anti-union practices and the wrongful termination of five union workers. Organizers are planning to protest Starbucks in Bloomfield this Saturday, December 2nd.

[ read more | Dec. 2 announcement |  Starbucks Union | other  Starbucks protests: NY FL ]

Slots Casinos became legal when the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved gaming in the state, and created the Gaming Control Board in 2004. The Gaming Control Board will allocate licenses for 14 slots casinos, two which will be located in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh. Three applicants are vying for the single license for the Pittsburgh casino.  Two of the proposals are slotted for commercial areas- Station Square and the North Shore.  The Isle of Capri proposal put forth by Pittsburgh First is the only one slated to be developed in a residential neighborhood- the Hill District.  In December of  2006 the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force will grant a license to one of the three casino firms.

Casino advocates are promising economic development, job opportunities, and community reinvestment. However, many Hill District residents who have a long history with bad urban development aren't buying it.  Activists, Ministers, community leaders, artists and residents have all joined together in opposition of Pittsburgh First's proposal for a slots casino in the Hill District.

Pittsburgh Indymedia's Andalusia Knoll has been covering the story and has produced two radio features for Rustbelt Radio and an article titled No Casinos on the Hill.

[ Read more... ]

[ Listen to the Rustbelt Radio documentary: No Casinos on the Hill (27:14 mp3) | November 6 update:   Raise your Hand rally (11:08 mp3) ]

[ For more info on casino developments in Pennsylvania, see Casinos in Philadelphia, Philly IMC's resource site ]