By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 21 -- After NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were killed in Brooklyn on December 20, organizations active in protesting the non-indictments in the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner express both sorry and caution.
Color of Change, for example, said its community was "saddened to learn about the killing of two NYPD officers in Brooklyn and the attempted killing of the shooter’s ex-girlfriend... We condemn any and all forms of violence, including violence perpetrated by and against police officers." It added, "“We urge the media to push back against claims not rooted in facts."
Ferguson Action spelled this out: "It is irresponsible to draw connections between this movement and the actions of a troubled man who took the lives of these officers and attempted to take the life of his ex-partner, before ultimately taking his own. Today's events are a tragedy in their own right. To conflate them with the brave activism of millions of people across the country is nothing short of cheap political punditry."
Likewise, #BlackLivesMatter said, "our hearts grieve with New York, a community already reeling from the losses of Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, Kimani Gray, Akai Gurley, Islan Nettles and many more. An eye for an eye is not our vision of justice."
Inner City Press, which repeatedly asked United Nations officials about the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases (and Trayvon Martin and others before), was struck not only by the silence so far of the UN system itself, but also by the silence of countries' representatives to the UN, who routinely tweet photos of the NYC skyline, farmer's markets and museum. This is a major event in New York, the kind requiring diplomacy or at least articulate analysis. Where are the diplomats? Afraid of making gaffes, some say. Would they be faster to speak in other diplomatic postings?
And what of the UN's chief himself, Ban Ki-moon? He spoke, at least through his spokesman, on the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases. On December 22 it is announced that Ban will take questions. But will this be addressed? Can it be? As Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access asked and reported on last week, it appears Ban requests and gets his questions in advance, click here for that.
We'll stay on this.
