Jorge Cornell still calling for peace, police harrassment persists

by Kathleen Jordan

Jun. 19, 2009

In a Press Conference held at Faith Community Church prayer chapel on Thursday, June, 18, 2009, Jorge Cornell, Inca (Leader) of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN), addressed the press and publicly called for the "City Council and the Police Department to dismantle Greensboro's Gang Unit". 

The reason Cornell says, is a list charges, many of which have been dropped, and ongoing harrassment by the gang unit.  Cornell stated:

"The gang unit has attacked us personally.  The members of our nation have been wrongly jailed; our names have been drug through the mud.  We have had to pay money for bail and for lawyers.  We have been fired from our jobs.  We are finding it hard to find a place to live.  A lot of this is happening because of the gang squad and it is wrong"

Some of the charges Cornell listed were an alleged abduction of a 15 year old girl, the gang unit rushing upon a house and frightening members of the ALKQN out of uniform, and admitted harrassment by a former gang unit officer, Ahmed Blake.  In a recent press conference Blake stated that, "there is an attitude in the gang unit that promotes discriminatory behavior towards Latinos".

Cornell stated that he believes that there has been an attempt to destroy his call for peace among gangs and street organizations, initiated in June of 2008.  He said that despite attacks, "we have a plan and we intend to keep it going". 

Watch the press conference here, to listen to and view Cornell's statment in its entirety. 

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