by
NARR
Yesterday, hundreds of people demonstrated peacefully across the city They were protesting the acquittal of the New York detectives who killed Sean Bell in a hail of bullets in late 2006. Today, Sharpton said police violence needs to be addressed in New York and beyond.
SHARPTON: It's a national problem that the justice department and the national government can not ignore. Policing must be dealt with as a national issue.
NARR: There was evidence of that yesterday. In Philadelphia, police beat three shooting suspects. Sharpton said that incident is further evidence that the actions of police need to be examined at a national level. Sharpton called on the U.S. presidential candidates to address what he calls "police violence."
Sharpton praised protestors for their conduct yesterday, but said their peaceful demonstration should not be misunderstood.
SHARPTON: They have the discipline not to explode, but that doesn't mean that they're not outraged.
NARR: Sharpton said that more acts of civil disobedience are planned for next week. Sharpton said the public will continue to draw attention to police misconduct until it is addressed, once and for all, by lawmakers in Washington.
SHARPTON:
This is the beginning of movement forward. But the aim is to get something done, not just to continue to see going from one case to another.
NARR:
Sharpton is scheduled to discuss his concerns about New York City police officers with Governor David Patterson today.
I'm Nadja Drost, Columbia Radio News.