http://www.indypgh.org/news/2002/12/421.php
Getu's Trial: Its Over!
by Dan Kyle Sunday, Dec. 22, 2002 at 9:37 AM
daniel_kyle@hotmail.com
The DA's office finally agrees that Getu Towalde, an Ethiopian immigrant, is not a terrorist. The DA also admits that grassroots pressure led to the prosecuter easing up on the initial trumped-up charges.
Ten months ago, Getu Berhanu Towalde was arrested at the Greyhound station in Pittsburgh. His brutalized face and uncommon name were broadcast citywide under the foreboding title �Possible Terrorist�. He was on his way to the Allegheny County Jail, and possibly Guantanamo Bay.
A legal immigrant from Ethiopia, Getu was beaten by the police and arrested after other passengers complained he was �acting suspicious�. According to Getu, he was trying to make friends during the lonely wait before departure. The arresting officer never identified himself and failed to produce a badge before taking him to the ground, disarming Getu of his perceived instrument of destruction: a pen.
The FBI refused to charge him, but Pittsburgh Police went forward with charges of making terroristic threats, causing and risking a catastrophe, and simple and aggravated assault. He was then jailed in the Mental Health pod of the Allegheny county jail and given 8 pills a day, without any attempt at justification. Possibly most disturbing of all, he was the third innocent minority arrested in Pittsburgh in the three months following the September 11th tragedy without any supporting evidence.
Today, Getu has a job. Yes, his name and face are still recognizable in Pittsburgh. He is known as a victim of race-based injustice, who has gathered countless friends in this city with his positive outlook and winning smile. Joe Heckyl from the prison society and Bob Sampson of East Liberty Presbyterian Church testified as a character witness on his trial date. On December 12th, the DA�s office finally agreed to drop all felonious charges, admitting he is not a terrorist. He plead guilty to three misdemeanors: disorderly conduct, harassment, and resisting arrest.
The result: eighteen months of probation. No fine. No additional jail time. No joining countless others rotting away in a concentration camp in violation of international law. Another result: nationally published progressive magazines have used his case as a living, breathing example that the witch-hunt for Middle Easterners has gone too far.
Organizers of the Free Getu Coalition call this a success story. Organizer Saleh Wasiruddin said of the campaign: �We showed that through spreading the word about what�s going on, and getting others to spread the word, we can bring support to our side not just at the grassroots level, but also even within the judicial system. The Allegheny County Public Defender�s office gave each of their lawyers a letter telling them how to fight the denial of Behavior Clinic exams Getu was subjected to.�
On December 5th, a fundraiser for Getu�s legal fees became an anti-racism concert and speak-out. The show featured folk, rock, rap, and jazz performers and several speakers who have been victimized by racism at work, in airports, and on the streets. Anti-racism organizer Pete Shell rallied those in attendance: �The DA�s office admitted the mobilization and letters (over 400) sent to their office led them to offer a favorable plea bargain. Without the mobilization, Getu may still be in jail today.� But is Getu happy with the outcome?
�Not exactly happy,� he laughed, clearly relieved the ordeal is finally over, �but happy for the judgment. That judge (Zatola), he did a good thing.� He is disappointed about probation partially because he still misses his life in Washington DC. Paperwork needs to be filed for him to leave the state. When you mention the Thomas Merton Center, however, his optimism and smile returns: �I really appreciate what the Thomas Merton Center is doing, not just for me, but for justice. They are changing the world in good ways.�
�I learned how people react to movements, how people get active around issues.� He said, looking back on the incident that exemplifies the Bush administration�s darkest intentions, �and I learned the police aren�t always right, that�s the bad side of what I learned.�
Organizers of the Free Getu Coalition remain focused on challenging the system that so badly mistreated Getu. "People often get frustrated and discouraged when they write letters and go to demonstrations, and don't see any direct results of their activism.� Pete Shell recently said, �Getu's case reminds us that activism and public pressure does pay off --not all the time but certainly in this case. Recently, several African-Americans have been killed by the police or housing authority officers in Pittsburgh. Let's keep in mind the important contribution that our activism can make as we struggle for justice for the victims of police brutality and against a war in Iraq." Sadly, there is no shortage of cases to take up.
Monty Clay, a featherweight champion boxer and full time jitney driver from Rankin was brutalized while unarmed by police from Braddock, Edgewood, and Swissvale on January 19th, 2002. Despite the fact Monty was not charged nor arrested for any misconduct that evening, his injuries were so severe he was unable to box for seven months. This has been devastating to the career of the two-time "Golden Gloves" champion of Pennsylvania, who was picked at the time to be a likely qualifier for the 2004 Olympic games. Ever since Monty filed charges against the police boroughs involved, police have not let him alone, harassing him and pulling him over every chance they can.
As embarrassing as Monty�s story is, the mysterious death of the Hill District�s Bernard Rogers is equally troublesome. Shot and killed while unarmed by the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, Rogers, just 26 years old, was reportedly just one month away from his degree from Duffs Business School. Recently, forensics investigators concluded that Rogers was shot in the back. This contrasts what the police officer origionally claimed: that Rogers was shot in a struggle for the officers firearm. Questions surround all these cases. Luckily, there are dedicated activists afoot who prioritize racial justice.
For more information, check out http://www.freegetu.org or http://www.zi-activism.net. Also, click http://www.thomasmertoncenter.org for more opportunities to help victims of race-based injustice.
