Time Magazine's Top 100 Photos of 2017: Our own Zach D. Roberts’ photo of the beating of a Black school teacher De'Andre Harris by neo-Nazis. The five men beating the teacher are the "good people" lauded by ...more
By Greg Palast with Zach D. Roberts for Truthout
We can’t make this up: African-American school teacher DeAndre Harris, victim of a beating by neo-Nazis in Charlottesville in August, has been – ready for this? – charged with assaulting the white supremacists who beat him with boards, iron rods, and brass knuckles.
That is correct. Harris, in photos released by Truthout and carried worldwide, was shown being beaten close to death – has now been charged with the same crime as his attackers: “unlawful wounding”.
Several of Harris’ attackers remain on the run – and local and federal officials show little interest in going after them. Yet, a Charlottesville magistrate issued a warrant to arrest Harris yesterday, October 9. …more
Still missing, the FBI moving on the others whom the attackers must know, including the man with the gun pictured below. (Thanks to Titter user @extapdancer for digitally enhancing the shot with a program called “Unshake” – see inset.)
Note that the Justice Department has brought no charges for crossing state lines with intent to commit violence. (Maybe Jeff sessions thinks that the other attackers were “very fine people“.)
“I’m also concerned in these arrests that they have been undercharged. Each were charged with one felony account of a malicious assaulting,” said Merritt. “We’re talking about a group of white supremacists who attacked a young black male at a white supremacist rally while shouting racial slurs if this doesn’t set the table for hate-based criminal charges, I don’t know what will.” …more
Palast Investigative Fund photographer Zach D. Roberts is interviewed by Nermeen Shaikh for Democracy Now! about the brutal beating of De’Andre Harris he witnessed and caught on camera in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017.
You can see more of Zach D. Roberts’s images from Charlottesville here. Zach also got an exclusive interview with De’Andre Harris, which you can find here. …more
Journalism saves lives-when it doesn’t lie.
Borden, 18, a former Mason High School student from Ohio, was charged with malicious wounding by Charlottesville police on Thursday, August 24 for the brutal assault of Harris. He was arrested the following day and is being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati, OH awaiting extradition.
The attack took place in a parking garage on Market Street – right next to the Charlottesville Police Station. Our photographer Zach Roberts took photos of the attack, which have since gone viral and have been reprinted online and in newspapers around the world. However, neither Roberts, Harris, or myself have been contacted by police, the FBI or Department of Justice officials.
Since this is a federal crime, involving actors who conspired and crossed state lines, we decided to contact the FBI ourselves to seek justice for Harris. This video documents the seven calls we made on Friday, August 18 in a frustrating attempt to report the near-murder of Harris.
No, the terrorist attack on peaceful counter protesters Saturday in Charlottesville was not an isolated incident. Anyone who says that is lying to you.
Get the full story behind this powerful image here.
Don’t look away. Four white neo-Nazis are beating a Black man, crawling on the ground, with their metal poles and a yellow hunk of lumber. The beating continues – there’s blood on the pavement.
Our photographer, Zach D. Roberts, continues to shoot – even as a white militant raises a 9mm pistol to his face.
Zach got a shot of the gun and gunman, too. Luckily, the gunman didn’t shoot back. …more
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