| Jena 6 for democracy now |
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Report from the Sept. 20 Rally Jena became a nationwide symbol for racism in the criminal justice system when six black students faced life sentences on attempted murder charges after a schoolyard fight that injured a white student. Outcry around the case grew when it was revealed that the fight occurred in the context of rising racial tensions at the school, where nooses were found hanging from a tree in the schoolyard after black students attempted to sit in the traditionally all-white area. When the first defendant was found guilty of second-degree battery and conspiracy by an all-white jury, A massive protest was planned to coincide with his sentencing hearing. The case has become a symbol of racial bias in criminal justice system around the country. The original reports for Democracy Now! are Included in the DVD compilation Dispatches Vol. 2. For a more in-depth look at the case, watch our half-hour film The Jena 6.
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