Mouctar Ouldadah Bah of the Oury Jalloh Initiative (right), addressing the memorial march in 2013. At the 2018 March on Saturday, the Initiative will again call for a new trial that should finally unearth the truth of what happened to Oury Jalloh on 7 January 2005 in Dessau / Photo: Oury Jalloh Initiative

Germany: African Community calls for massive turnout at Oury Jalloh memorial protest

The Initiative in Memory of Oury Jalloh (Initiative zum Gedenken an Oury Jalloh) and its supporters will demonstrate for the thirteenth time in Dessau on Sunday to commemorate the death of Oury Jalloh, who died in police custody in the eastern German town on 7 January 2005.

The memorial event, which takes place on Sunday, 7 January 2018, will also call for justice for the Sierra Leonean, whose death is widely believed to have directly resulted from police violent abuse.

A photograph of Oury Jalloh from the WDR-Documentary “Die Story: Tod in der Zelle – Warum starb Oury Jalloh?” / Photo: pa/obs/WDR/WDR_A&o_buero_Kolvenbach

READ ALSO Oury Jalloh: A mysterious death in German police custody

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been mobilising the inhabitants of Dessau against the 2018 Oury Jalloh Memorial March, and has called for a public protest against the March on Sunday.

In view of this unsavoury development, the Central Council of the African Community in Germany (Zentralrat der afrikanischen Gemeinde in Deutschland e.V.) is calling on Africans to turn out en masse for the 13th Oury Jalloh Memorial March in Dessau on 7 January.

Moctar Kamara, Chairman, Central Council of the African Community in Germany e.V. / Photo: Copyright-Afrika Medien Zentrum

 

In a press statement signed by its president, Moctar Kamara, the Council said:

“In our view, the racist and neo-Nazi party AfD is currently mobilising public opinion against this traditional commemorative demonstration and tries to mobilize a few Dessau residents to protest against the demonstration of African/Black people and their supporters.

“To this end, the AfD in Dessau has launched a widespread defamation campaign against the memorial event of 7 January 2018, called by the Initiative in Memory of Oury Jalloh.

READ ALSO New evidence contradicts German police in Oury Jalloh death

“The Central Council of the African Community in Germany calls on all Dessau residents to distance themselves clearly from what we see as the racist views of the AfD Party and from any neo-Nazi tendencies. We call on members of the African/Black Community, all supporters and anti-racist movements to send a clear signal and make a massive appearance in Dessau for the memorial demonstration.

“We will not be intimidated by the AfD’s racist smear campaign in Dessau. We urge the Dessau police to take all measures so that we are not provoked by the AfD and its supporters, who are waging a racist campaign against our demonstration.

READ ALSO African Community in Germany speaks out on Oury Jalloh!

“For us in the African/Black Community, Oury Jalloh was murdered. This indignation of the African/Black Community will also be clearly expressed at this demonstration. We insist that the exercise of our rights to freedom of expression and physical integrity are ensured and protected by the police. We continue to demand a complete investigation of the circumstances of Oury Jalloh’s death.”

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The Oury Jalloh Memorial March 2018 will take place on
Sunday, 7 January 2018 and commence at 2 pm from
the Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof) in Dessau.

More information about the Oury Jalloh Initiative

Information on community organised travel to Dessau

 

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