SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Black Lives Matter protesters in Revere, Massachusetts march in support of Black lives on June 9, 2020 following the killings of unarmed Black people George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
'It's About Damn Time': Advocates Welcome DOJ Hate Crimes Charges in Ahmaud Arbery Killing
"It's one step closer to justice," Arbery's mother said of the new federal indictments for the three men accused of murdering her son in Georgia last year.
Apr 28, 2021
Racial justice advocates welcomed Wednesday's announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that three men imprisoned in Georgia on murder and other charges in connection with the death of unarmed Black man Ahmaud Arbery last February also have been charged with federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
According to a DOJ statement, Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and William 'Roddie' Bryan "were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping."
"Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing--and in Travis's case, discharging--a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence," the statement added.
Echoing numerous racial justice advocates, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted, "It's about damn time" in response to the DOJ announcement.
Arbery's relatives and other advocates also welcomed news of the new charges. Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery's mother, told CNN that the fresh indictments are "huge."
"It's one step closer to justice," she said. "They did the investigation properly and they came out with those indictments. So, my family and I were pleased."
Arbery, who was 25 years old, was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by Travis and Gregory McMichael, who claimed they believed Arbery may have stolen from a property under construction.
Cellphone video recorded by Bryan from his vehicle and released over two months after the killing shows Arbery jogging down the street as the McMichaels approach and confront him in their pickup truck. Travis was driving, while Gregory is seen riding in the truck bed. A struggle ensues after Travis exits the pickup with a shotgun and confronts Arbery. Three shots are then heard as Travis shoots Arbery. The younger McMichael told investigators he fired in self-defense.
According to a statement by Bryan to Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he stood over the dying man.
While observers including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called Arbery's killing a "lynching," Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill deemed it a "justifiable homicide," sparking widespread outrage. Following the release of Bryan's cellphone footage--and 74 days after Arbery's death--the McMichaels were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Two weeks later, Bryan was arrested and charged with murder and attempted false imprisonment.
In the past week, the DOJ's civil rights division has launched investigations of police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, respectively where George Floyd and Breonna Taylor--both Black, and both unarmed--were killed by officers last year.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Racial justice advocates welcomed Wednesday's announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that three men imprisoned in Georgia on murder and other charges in connection with the death of unarmed Black man Ahmaud Arbery last February also have been charged with federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
According to a DOJ statement, Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and William 'Roddie' Bryan "were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping."
"Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing--and in Travis's case, discharging--a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence," the statement added.
Echoing numerous racial justice advocates, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted, "It's about damn time" in response to the DOJ announcement.
Arbery's relatives and other advocates also welcomed news of the new charges. Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery's mother, told CNN that the fresh indictments are "huge."
"It's one step closer to justice," she said. "They did the investigation properly and they came out with those indictments. So, my family and I were pleased."
Arbery, who was 25 years old, was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by Travis and Gregory McMichael, who claimed they believed Arbery may have stolen from a property under construction.
Cellphone video recorded by Bryan from his vehicle and released over two months after the killing shows Arbery jogging down the street as the McMichaels approach and confront him in their pickup truck. Travis was driving, while Gregory is seen riding in the truck bed. A struggle ensues after Travis exits the pickup with a shotgun and confronts Arbery. Three shots are then heard as Travis shoots Arbery. The younger McMichael told investigators he fired in self-defense.
According to a statement by Bryan to Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he stood over the dying man.
While observers including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called Arbery's killing a "lynching," Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill deemed it a "justifiable homicide," sparking widespread outrage. Following the release of Bryan's cellphone footage--and 74 days after Arbery's death--the McMichaels were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Two weeks later, Bryan was arrested and charged with murder and attempted false imprisonment.
In the past week, the DOJ's civil rights division has launched investigations of police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, respectively where George Floyd and Breonna Taylor--both Black, and both unarmed--were killed by officers last year.
Racial justice advocates welcomed Wednesday's announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice that three men imprisoned in Georgia on murder and other charges in connection with the death of unarmed Black man Ahmaud Arbery last February also have been charged with federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
According to a DOJ statement, Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael, and William 'Roddie' Bryan "were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping."
"Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing--and in Travis's case, discharging--a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence," the statement added.
Echoing numerous racial justice advocates, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) tweeted, "It's about damn time" in response to the DOJ announcement.
Arbery's relatives and other advocates also welcomed news of the new charges. Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery's mother, told CNN that the fresh indictments are "huge."
"It's one step closer to justice," she said. "They did the investigation properly and they came out with those indictments. So, my family and I were pleased."
Arbery, who was 25 years old, was jogging in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by Travis and Gregory McMichael, who claimed they believed Arbery may have stolen from a property under construction.
Cellphone video recorded by Bryan from his vehicle and released over two months after the killing shows Arbery jogging down the street as the McMichaels approach and confront him in their pickup truck. Travis was driving, while Gregory is seen riding in the truck bed. A struggle ensues after Travis exits the pickup with a shotgun and confronts Arbery. Three shots are then heard as Travis shoots Arbery. The younger McMichael told investigators he fired in self-defense.
According to a statement by Bryan to Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he stood over the dying man.
While observers including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called Arbery's killing a "lynching," Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill deemed it a "justifiable homicide," sparking widespread outrage. Following the release of Bryan's cellphone footage--and 74 days after Arbery's death--the McMichaels were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Two weeks later, Bryan was arrested and charged with murder and attempted false imprisonment.
In the past week, the DOJ's civil rights division has launched investigations of police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, respectively where George Floyd and Breonna Taylor--both Black, and both unarmed--were killed by officers last year.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy