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For Immediate Release
September, 15 2015, 08:30am EDT
Contact:
Contacts: Michele Setteducato, 732-614-3818, michele@fitzgibbonmedia.com
CJ Frogozo, 310-570-2622, cj@fitzgibbonmedia.com
More than 40,000 people Demand Arby's Reinstate Kenneth Davenport and Publicly Apologize
ColorOfChange.org Launches Petition After Police Association Targets Black Teenager
WASHINGTON
Earlier this month, Arby's suspended 19-year-old Black teenager Kenneth Davenport after Police Sergeant Sgt. Jennifer Martin accused Arby's of refusing service to a police officer. However, no one at the fast-food chain refused service to the police officer, and even Arby's admits that Davenport did nothing wrong. Now, the local police association is asking for Davenport to be fired. In response, the largest online civil rights group in the country, ColorOfChange.org, launched a petition demanding Arby's reinstate Davenport's employment and issue a public apology. To date, over 40,000 ColorOfChange members have signed the petition.
Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, said:
"It's outrageous for Arby's to bow to pressure from a police group and take disciplinary action against a Black employee who did nothing wrong. Arby's must immediately reinstate Kenneth Davenport's employment, publicly apologize to him, and clear his name as Arby's actions could damage Davenport's work life and career. Arby's lies and decision to suspend Davenport are deeply irresponsible and simply make no sense. It's clear the company feels no accountability to it's Black employees.
"The Dade County Police Benevolent Association's actions exemplify the way that police unions abuse their power and act as bullies to anyone they perceive as an enemy. While unions are essential for protecting the rights of workers, many police unions are fundamentally different. They defend cops who kill and abuse their power, create policies that help the police get away with just about anything, and attack any effort at reform.
"The attack on Kenneth Davenport appears to be part of a coordinated effort by police groups across the country to paint young Black people as violent and anti-police. This isn't the first time a Miami-area police union has targeted and smeared a Black citizen. Just last month, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police publicly attacked the reputation of a Black woman who filmed police beating a Black teenager after arresting him."
Color Of Change is the nation's largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over one million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.
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Two Years After Jan. 6, Omar Says 'Imagine If This Was to Happen Under Republican Control'
"I am thankful that we had a speaker and were ready to respond and defend our democracy in the days that followed" the January 6 attack, said the Democrat from Minnesota.
Jan 06, 2023
On the eve of the second anniversary of the January 6 attack, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar asked the public to imagine if far-right Republicans—now locked in a chaotic fight over the House speakership—controlled the lower chamber of Congress two years ago, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent effort to overthrow the government.
"We remember the insurrection," Omar (D-Minn.) said in an appearance on MSNBC late Thursday. "We remember that the House was organized. We were ready, Democrats were ready—we'd already elected a speaker, we were ready to defend the Constitution, we were ready to defend our democracy. Imagine if this was to happen under Republican control?"
Just hours after the failed coup attempt of January 6, 2021—an attack fueled by Trump and his allies—a majority of House Republicans voted to toss out 2020 presidential election results from Arizona and Pennsylvania, citing baseless claims of fraud pushed aggressively by the former president.
The House, then controlled by Democrats, ultimately rejected the Republicans' challenges, as did the Senate. According to the Congressional Research Service, "both houses of Congress must agree to an objection for a state's electoral vote to be excluded from the vote count."
In the months that followed, the lower chamber formed a committee that launched a sweeping probe into the events of January 6, accumulating troves of evidence demonstrating that Trump was ultimately responsible for the Capitol assault. Testimony obtained by the committee also revealed that several Republican lawmakers—including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)—asked Trump for pardons in the wake of the insurrection.
The prospect of an attack like the January 6 insurrection taking place with the House controlled by a majority sympathetic to the mob is alarming to contemplate, Omar said Thursday. Many of the Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election results remain in their seats, including the California lawmaker vying for speaker and a ringleader of the far-right opposition.
"Tomorrow, when we walk in on the anniversary of January 6th, we will have no House organized," Omar said. "This is going to be the first time in over 100 years where we clearly cannot defend our democracy and our Constitution. We don't have the House in order, and the Republicans don't seem to be any closer in electing a speaker."
"It is just a shameful sight to see," Omar added, "not just for Americans but people across the world that expect us to have figured this out, being one of the oldest democracies in the world."
\u201cTomorrow is the anniversary of January 6th. \n\nI am thankful that we had a Speaker and were ready to respond and defend our democracy in the days that followed.\n\nImagine if this were to happen under Republican control?\u201d— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Rep. Ilhan Omar) 1672978187
In a column on Thursday, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Will Bunch argued that "we can't move on, let alone learn, from 2021's insurrection when that uprising—crippling our government in the name of celebrity fascism—never ended."
"Over these two years, we've watched the violent tragedy of one January morph into this January's farce, yet it's the current farce that has brought the nation to a standstill and elevated the power of the extreme right," Bunch wrote. "Until there is actual accountability for what really happened on January 6, 2021, America's calendar will remain stuck on that date, which will live in infamy."
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US House Adjourns—Again—After 11 Failed Votes to Select a Speaker
"If you think House Republicans' chaos will end with electing a speaker, you aren't paying attention," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal. "This is who they are. Chaotic, selfish, and incapable of leadership."
Jan 05, 2023
For the first time since before the U.S. Civil War, the House of Representatives on Thursday surpassed 10 rounds of voting for speaker and the narrow GOP majority still failed to rally behind one candidate, ultimately voting to adjourn until Friday afternoon.
Since Tuesday, over 11 rounds, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has seen his numbers drop from a high of 203 to 200 in the latest round, with 12 Republicans backing Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), seven supporting Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), one pushing for former President Donald Trump, and one voting present.
During every round of voting this week, all 212 Democrats have maintained their support for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
The last time lawmakers needed multiple rounds of voting to choose a speaker was a century ago, when it took nine attempts. Before that, they held 44 votes in 1859 and a historic 133 votes in 1855—a process that spanned nearly two months.
While both allies and opponents of McCarthy signaled to reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday that negotiations for a potential deal to get him into the post are ongoing, it's not clear enough of the 20 far-right members who have blocked his path to speaker have or even can be swayed.
Democrats have pointed to the drama of the past three days—on the eve of the second anniversary of Trump supporters' deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol—as proof that the GOP control of the House over the next two years will be marred by dysfunction.
"If you think House Republicans' chaos will end with electing a speaker, you aren't paying attention," Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said Thursday night. "This is who they are. Chaotic, selfish, and incapable of leadership."
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Jan. 6 Rallies Will Demand Accountability for Trump, 'Urgent Action to Protect Our Democracy'
"We need all hands on deck to make this January 6th national day of action as big as possible," said the coalition organizing the demonstrations.
Jan 05, 2023
Democracy defenders will mark the second anniversary of the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol with nationwide rallies to demand accountability for former U.S. President Donald Trump and push for "reforms to protect our freedom to vote."
The Not Above the Law and Declaration for American Democracy coalitions will lead the nationwide day of action on the anniversary of the right-wing insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump and his "Big Lie" that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen."
"Election deniers still threaten our democracy. On the second anniversary of the insurrection, we're fighting back."
"We need all hands on deck to make this January 6th national day of action as big as possible," said the coalition's Jan. 6 Justice: Our Freedoms, Our Vote website.
"We know that even though some of the most prominent election conspiracists lost their midterms, they are already looking to 2024 for ways to overturn the will of voters," the coalitions continued. "They are working to sabotage future elections by changing state laws, threatening election officials, and packing election administration offices so that they can have the final say over election results even when they lose."
\u201cJanuary 6 is a day to remind us that we must continue working to protect our democracy. People who care about democracy are taking action across the nation, can you join? \u00a0#OurFreedomsOurVote\u00a0https://t.co/4KxxMKqzvb\u201d— Randi Weingarten \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udfff\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83c\udf93 (@Randi Weingarten \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udfff\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83c\udf93) 1672943752
Organizers of the #OurFreedomsOurVote demonstrations say the "next phase" in their work involves:
- Passing local, state, and federal legislation to protect our freedoms;
- Pushing back against the potential sham investigations the new Congress is planning; and
- Uplifting the findings of real critical investigations like the January 6th investigation.
Last month, the bipartisan congressional committee probing the Capitol insurrection unanimously voted to recommend that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department investigate Trump and some of his associates for four crimes in connection with the attack.
\u201cElection deniers still threaten our democracy. On the second anniversary of the insurrection, we\u2019re fighting back. Join us at an event near you! \n#OurFreedomsOurVote https://t.co/weZQmshick\u201d— Declaration for American Democracy - (@Declaration for American Democracy -) 1672950371
"Almost two years after the insurrection, we see our democracy is still in danger from Trump, his allies, and their sympathizers in office," coalition member Free Speech for People tweeted. "It's time to show our political leaders that there are still serious threats to our democracy."
New polling published Thursday by Data for Progress revealed that just 57% of respondents believe President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. That figure is dramatically skewed by the two-thirds of Republican respondents who said the election was "stolen" from Trump. Ninety-two percent of Democrats said Biden won the contest fairly.
More than 170 candidates for U.S. House, Senate, and key statewide offices who deny that Biden fairly won the 2020 election were elected or reelected in November.
The survey also found that 59% of voters believe Trump bears "a lot of" or "some" responsibility for the Capitol attack—with 90% of Democrats, 57% of Independents, and 28% of Republicans agreeing. Nearly half of GOP respondents said Trump is not at all responsible for the insurrection.
Additionally, half of all survey respondents said Trump should be prosecuted for his role in the January 6 attack. Support for prosecution soared to 88% of Democrats, while 50% of Independents and just 13% of Republicans believe the former president—who's seeking the 2024 nomination—should face charges.
\u201cJoin us on January 6 to push for accountability to prevent future power grabs by Trump and his allies, and to tell elected leaders to act on a mandate for democracy reforms to protect our freedom to vote. #OurFreedomsOurVote\u201d— Public Citizen Democracy Campaign (@Public Citizen Democracy Campaign) 1672948944
Noting that the new Republican majority in the House "has made clear that they have no interest in accountability for the attack on our Capitol," the Declaration for American Democracy coalition said that "it's up to us to show our political leaders that we demand urgent action to protect our democracy."
Scheduled speakers at the noon EST Union Square rally in Washington, D.C. include Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.); Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters King of the Drum Major Institute; Stand Up America executive director Christina Harvey; Sierra Club democracy campaign representative Tishan Weerasooriya; Women's March D.C. spokesperson Noor Mir; and March for Our Lives board member Mariah Cooley, among others.
"The event comes as Trump and extreme politicians continue to spread false claims about the 2020 election results and undermine our Constitution, pass state laws to place new barriers to voting—disproportionately impacting communities of color—and prepare to launch a sham investigation into the January 6 committee so that they can stay in power to push their unpopular agenda: to destroy reproductive rights, steal our Social Security and our Medicare, and stop our ability to access affordable higher education, address the climate crisis, or prevent gun violence, among others," the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen said in a statement.
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