In a story posted on the FOX 2 news website, reporter Chris Hayes claims that MORE “bonded out people accused of felonies, without explanation.” The story focuses on the fact that, through the jail support system that we established the day after Mike Brown was killed, MORE bailed out Tyrone Harris, accused of shooting at St. Louis County police, and Josh Williams, accused of arson.
The implication of the story is that MORE has something to hide. We do not.
From the very beginning of the Ferguson Uprising, MORE has been committed to supporting the call for police accountability, racial justice and the protection of free speech. On day two we were in the streets of Ferguson spreading the word that if you got arrested for protesting, you could call our number for jail support. That phone number was, up until then, the office number of MORE.
Hundreds of volunteers worked tirelessly to make sure that people did not get lost in this system which was designed not to benefit them. We spent thousands of dollars ensuring that brutal and repressive tactics of St. Louis County police would not silence the voice of the people by bullying them with the fear of prolonged incarceration.
Jail support made certain that people detained for protesting were tracked, bailed out and legally supported in the face of a dysfunctional court system. Through jail support, MORE made it possible for people to express their grief and outrage at the systemic assault on black lives, get back out in the streets and continue the disruptions that has sparked a national movement.
It has always been the mission of jail support to post bail for any and all protest arrests, without judgment of guilt or innocence. Deciding on people’s legal fate is the reason we have a criminal justice system.
Police who regularly kill young black folks understand very well and benefit from the presumption of innocence in our legal system. In the case of Darren Wilson and many other police officers, there is rarely a conviction, let alone a bond or even an arrest when they kill unarmed black people.
Black people who are even suspected of being armed face summary execution on the street. White people like the Oath Keepers, on the other hand, can carry guns in broad daylight and face no harassment.
MORE remains steadfast in its support of people standing together in the exercise of free speech to speak truth to power. We believe anyone accused of a crime should have their day in court. Given that the St. Louis County prosecutors are now charging 1,000 protesters, journalists and bystanders in cases from a year ago, there is ample reason why we should not blindly trust the system.
Derek Laney is co-executive director of Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE).
