Posted on 07/21/2008 5:44:27 PM PDT by SmithL
OAKLAND — Former employees and supporters of the defunct Your Black Muslim Bakery have scheduled a rally for Aug. 2 — the one-year anniversary of journalist Chauncey Bailey's killing — to call for an investigation into the business's demise.
"This is the anniversary of the closing of the bakery and the event is about getting to the truth, getting to justice and making sure that whoever is guilty of any crime be brought before the bar of justice, because right now the truth is not being told," said rally organizer Henry Clark.
The date was chosen to commemorate "police attacking and closing Your Black Muslim Bakery specifically under some type of ruse or pretense that they were violating some sort of health standards," Clark said.
The rally is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the former bakery site, at San Pablo Avenue and 59th Street.
Police raided the bakery Aug. 3 to arrest its chief executive officer, Yusef Bey IV, and three others on charges of kidnapping and torturing two women in May 2007. They also arrested a bakery handyman, Devaughndre Broussard, and charged him with killing Bailey the day before the raid.
Health inspectors had cited the bakery for four major violations during a November 2006 inspection. After the Aug. 3 police raid, dead rats, rat droppings and other filth were found, and Alameda County Health Department officials ordered it closed. It never reopened.
In bankruptcy since October 2006, the bakery was recently sold to pay off its debts, including $200,000 in taxes.
Broussard remains jailed on murder charges. Bey IV, one of his half-brothers and two other bakery associates remain jailed in the kidnap-torture case. They await a judge to decide on whether there is enough evidence to take them to trial. In that case, another defendant, Joshua Bey, pleaded guilty and is testifying for the prosecution.
Bailey's sister, Lorelei Waqia, said the timing of the rally on the one-year anniversary of her brother's killing stunned her.
"Wow, I'm speechless," she said. "The only thing that really comes to mind is I welcome any investigation into his death but that's it. I'm surprised."
Fliers have been posted in the North Oakland neighborhood where the bakery operated for 30 years, claiming a police operation forced it out of business.
"There is enough information that will be revealed to show that things are not quite the way that they have been reported," Clark said.
In a confession he later recanted, Broussard said he shot Bailey because he wanted to be "a real strong soldier" for the bakery.
I remember when this “business” had a stall at the Southwest Airline terminal at Oakland Airport. Never seen anybody buy something from it.
Underlying criminal activity notwithstanding I guess.
Are you having more kids than these guys are?
In other words, will they be able to out vote you and your family?
“You can say any foolish thing to a dog,
and the dog will give you a look that says,
‘My God, you’re right!
I never would’ve thought of that!’”
—Dave Barry
They should NOT have closed the business under health statutes.
The business should have been seized under RICO for associations with violent mobsters who destroyed the inventory of competing businesses (like liquor stores).
RICO has been used against the KKK and the antiabortion movement. What’s wrong with using it against Islamic supremacist bigots?
I’m too old.......but A HUGE BTTT for your comment!!!!!!
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